Back Where We Belong
by Inthegym
Summary: Be gentle. Sports themed,new characters introduced. Everyone left Lima after high school with big plans. An opportunity arises for one of them to live out their dreams. Can they make it? Eventual Brittana.
1. Chapter 1

It's mid October and everyone around here knows that that means it's the start of a new basketball season. When Coach Beiste took over the football team, the guys in the program got a real wake- up call. Things done changed! With a new coach and new found success, the school decided it was time to spend the money and make coaching changes within the basketball programs as well. Sue's Cheerios had multiple state championships, why should other students have the same opportunities? Coach Hill took over the boy's program and Coach Eckles took over the girl's. There have been a lot of changes at McKinley and the past is shaping the future.

"One more time!" Sue yells through her megaphone as the clock strikes four o'clock.

"Wrap it up Sue!" A voice shouts across the gym. The gym instantly becomes so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Cheerios collectively hold their breath as Sue turns on her heel to see who has the nerve.

"Your practice is technically over. We've got the gym reserved from four to six tonight." Coach Eckles says calmly. "I'll give you one more rep and we're coming on."

Sue pauses for just a second and says, "I'll deal with you later. One more time and make it perfect!" Having experienced so much success, it's only natural that Sue Sylvester wants the Cheerios last routine under her direction to be better than perfect. It is just that as they execute their final tosses without flaw. Sue is as satisfied as she's going to get and ends practice there.

"Much appreciated Coach." Coach Eckles says firmly as the girl's basketball team takes the floor for practice. Sue sends a piercing glare her way, but it seems to bounce off the new basketball coach without leaving a mark. Sue screams at the Cheerios to meet in room 202B. They file out quickly and quietly.

Standing off to the side is the Cheerios coach in waiting, Santana Lopez. Santana left Lima after high school to attend college as far away as possible. That landed her at Ohio State. She originally wanted to become a doctor, but teaching ended up calling her name and for reasons she hasn't quite figured out yet, she ended up back in Lima. Santana quietly observed the short exchange between Sue and the new cage coach. As the basketball team went through their stretches, she walked over to introduce herself.

"You handled her well." Santana said with admiration and sarcasm all wrapped into one. "She normally attacks anyone that tries to breathe the same air as her." Coach Eckles turned and looked down at that Latina. The coach wasn't a towering figure, only 5'8 or 5'9, but definitely taller than the women standing next to her. Their eyes locked for a moment- unexpected by the both of them.

Coach Eckles broke the brief silence with, "Thanks….I think." She didn't know Sue all that well yet and certainly didn't want to offend anyone. Truth be told, she really didn't mind her though. Success breeds success and those are the people that she wanted to be surrounded by.

"You look familiar…. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before….."

Santana felt some nerves flare up and quickly said, "You probably saw me in the Cheerios pictures in the trophy cases. I was Captain back in the day. Santana Lopez. I'm taking over the Cheerios after Sue retires this weekend."

Coach Eckles smiled sweetly. "That might be it. It's nice to meet you Santana." She extended a hand and said "My friends call me BJ" and quickly followed up with, "No need for jokes. I heard them all growing up." Santana chuckled softly. There was a time when she would have been the one leading the way with those jokes, but over time she'd changed.

"So what does it stand for?" Santana asked.

"I just met you. I can't be telling you all my secrets already."

"Fair enough but, you should know that I'll figure it out sooner than later."

BJ gave Santana a side-eyed glance and then turned to face her as she pulled her shoulder length brown hair up into a ponytail. BJ was from the Midwest and played her college ball at Ohio State. She stayed on as a graduate assistant coach and pursued her Master's degree in psychology. It hit her then. Santana had been a cheerleader while she was coaching there.

At that same moment, Santana suddenly realized that she knew BJ from somewhere too. "I know you." Santana said quietly.

"I know you too." BJ replied. "Small world."

Santana smiled and asked so suddenly that she surprised herself, "Do you have dinner plans tonight? We could catch up or uhh…..get to know each other? I mean we are both Buckeyes." she said trying to make the moment less awkward.

The moment must have only been awkward for the Latina as the basketball coach shrugged and answered, "Practice plans and game tape, but I suppose I have to eat sometime."

"Seven o'clock at the Brew Pub?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you there. Now get out of my gym so I can turn these girls into champions." BJ smiled and turned to get to work.

Santana smiled as she turned to head out of the gym. She suddenly had a little energy in her step. Almost everyone she had known from her high school days had left for college and not returned. She had been pretty lonely since she moved back a couple months ago. It was time to venture out. Maybe getting out would help her figure out what that gut feeling was that practically forced her to move back.


	2. Chapter 2

The days had gotten shorter and there was a chill in the air as Santana pulled up to the Brew Pub. She was a bit early, but decided to go in and get a table. The Pub was pretty quiet for this time of night she thought, but it was a Tuesday. She walked through the heavy wooden doors and took in the pictures and memorabilia on the walls. It was like a walk back in time. A familiar picture caught her eye. She walked closer and small smile came to her face. It was a team picture from her senior year as a Cheerio. She and Brittany were side by side, just as they were for years, holding their fourth straight state championship trophy. It was only seven years ago, but it seemed like another place and time. So much had changed, but the one constant was that she missed that blonde every day.

"Reliving your glory days?" A new but familiar voice brought her back to the present. Santana turned to see BJ standing there smiling at her. She had on jeans and a grey Billabong jacket over a black t-shirt. She looked different in street clothes. Those baggy basketball clothes hid a lot. She was quite attractive. Santana suddenly wished she had changed.

"Something like that." The petite woman replied blushing.

BJ came closer and peered over Santana's shoulder at the picture. She laughed and said, "Cute."

"Two of you tonight?" The hostess asked.

"Three actually," replied BJ, "I brought my imaginary friend." The hostess looked around for a second and then her face turned a darker shade of pink as she laughed softly, realizing it was a joke. BJ heard Santana laugh too. That was a good sign- Santana got her humor. BJ loved to make people laugh.

"You got me." The hostess replied with an embarrassed smile. "Would you like to sit at the bar or a table?"

BJ looked at Santana and they decided on a table.

"So you're a smart ass, huh?"

"Eh. Only some times. I got a laugh out of both of you though didn't I?"

It was true. She did. Santana smiled and nodded.

The two women sat down and each ordered a glass of water and a beer. Santana was grateful that BJ had accepted her invitation. It had been so long since she had spent time with anyone close to her age. She needed to get out. As BJ ordered her food Santana couldn't help but study her facial features. She was a few years older than Santana. She had beautiful brown eyes, but they looked tired. She wondered what her story was.

"So is this the hotspot in Lima?" BJ asked. Santana shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

"I honestly don't know any more. I haven't been out since I moved back."

BJ looked at her quizzically. "Speaking of that, why did you move back here?" There was a pause. "Sorry, I don't mean to be nosy. You just never seemed like the small town type of girl."

Santana sighed. "I couldn't wait to get out of here after high school." She didn't want to spill her guts to someone she had just met a few hours ago, but she hadn't really talked about the "why" yet. She didn't really know. "My best friend and I left with dreams and a plan. Things were going well the first couple years of college. Then, I don't know…. plans changed. Dreams changed. I changed." She caught herself before she went any further. "I changed my major, finished school, and then took a few months off. I just felt a calling to come home." She stated quickly.

BJ looked at her and nodded understandingly- like she'd been there before. "That happens to a lot of people."

Santana wasn't going to sit there and not get anything out of the woman sitting across from her. She just wanted to get to know her better. In a strange way, she felt connected to her somehow.

"So, how did you end up here? I mean, you were coaching in the Big Ten and now you're coaching at McKinley High School in Lima." It came out a lot harsher than she planned. "I'm so-"

Coach Eckles cut her off. "It's ok. You're definitely not the only person that has wondered that." She finished off her beer and ordered another round for the two of them. "It wasn't my plan. I was going to stay in DI basketball. Things off the court got…..complicated. I'll share that story with you when you grow up." They both laughed as the coach tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "Long story short, my plans changed. I changed. My dream got put on hold. I needed a change of scenery."

Santana nodded. She was only more curious now.

Their food came and they had comfortable conversation throughout. It was nice being able to talk to someone and share a few laughs. They both felt like they had known each other for a long time. Santana saw BJ glance at her watch so she asked what time it was. It was 10:30 already. Neither could believe how fast the time had gone. The coach still had work to do tonight. After all, they did have their home opener on Saturday night. They sat and talked for another thirty minutes or so and BJ asked, "Do you still talk to that best friend of yours?"

Santana reached for her glass, eyes down and then looked off in the distance. Quietly she answered, "No, we lost touch a few years back. I guess you could say that life got in the way."

The coach could tell immediately that the best friend had left a void in Santana's world and it bothered her to see that sadness. Interestingly enough, BJ knew exactly what she was feeling. She knew it was a conversation for another time, but one that they would eventually have.

They each paid their bills and began to walk out. BJ stopped to take a closer look at the Cheerios picture on the wall. She noticed the taller blonde standing next to Santana in the picture and the joy on their faces. She also noticed the linked pinkies. She recognized her. She too had once been a Buckeye. The hoops coach was a wise one, but she was going to let Santana fill her in on her own.


	3. Chapter 3

**On the other side of the country….**

Boxes were scattered throughout the apartment. Clothes were in piles, in suitcases and strewn about the place. Moving was never any fun, but then again, living out of a suitcase wasn't either. She had struggled with this decision for a long time, but she was finally at peace with it. Dancing had always been such a huge part of her life, but something was missing. She just never quite felt whole.

A few weeks after finishing the tour, she lay awake searching for her missing pieces. She loved the bright lights and the hectic schedule. It was that schedule that kept her sane after she left THE OSU. She loved the dancers that had become like family to her, but wondered if they would understand. It was so hard to make it in this profession. Would they think she was crazy if she walked away now? She had been at this for a solid five years now. Was that enough for her? It wouldn't be for most people. Was she most people? Was she squandering her opportunity? What would she do next? As her mind wandered, she came to a decision early that morning that it was time to walk away, time to begin a new chapter. Brittany had no idea where to start. She just knew that it was time to move on.

"I don't remember having this much stuff when I moved in." Brittany said aloud to herself.

As she moved to the next pile, she picked up a book and a photo fell out. She didn't remember putting that in there. As she picked it up and turned it over, she smiled. It was a picture of her and Santana from their senior year of high school. She stared at it for a while and remembered how life all seemed so simple back then. No worries, no life changing decisions. It was easy. Life was always easy with Santana. She ran her long fingers over the picture and sighed. It had been so long.

She snapped back to the present as her cell phone rang. "Where did I put that?" Brittany spoke to herself again. She set the picture down and pushed piles aside as she followed the ring tone. She finally found it under a pizza box. Caller ID told her it was her mother.

"Hiya Moms!"

"Hi honey! Just calling to see how the packing is coming along."

"Slowly but surely." She stated as she looked around her apartment. She really hadn't made much progress in the last couple of days. Then again, she still had time as she wasn't really in any hurry. She was going to live life these next couple of months on her own time while she figured out what was next. For now, all the meant was moving home in six weeks.

"Well, you know your father, he can't wait to have you back home."

"Mom, he does know that it's not for a while yet and that it's only temporary, right? Until I find my own place."

Her mom laughed, "He knows dear. It has just been such a long time since we've gotten to spend more than a few days at a time with you."

Brittany felt a bit of guilt. "I know. I'm sorry." Dancing had consumed her life. She hadn't got to spend much time with family the past few years. Holiday visits were always cut short. There was always a new city she had to get to. She lost touch with most of her old friends too. Save for the occasional random text or email, she felt disconnected from the non-dancing world.

"Brittany, stop it. You chased your dream and lived it! There aren't many people who can say that."

"I know Mom." She did. Sometimes though, when you're so close to something, it's hard to get perspective.

Brittany eased herself. She was actually looking forward to moving back to Lima. She had so many questions about what her future had in store, but she had a gut feeling that she needed to move home. She didn't know why or where it came from, she just felt it.

"Alright Britt, I know you're busy. Keep us in the loop and let us know your time table and travel plans. Your dad is all set to drive the Uhaul."

She laughed. "Will do mom. Love you and talk to you soon."

As they hung up she shook her head at the thought of her dad driving a Uhaul truck. She picked the picture back up. She wondered where Santana was and what she was up to. It had been about three years since they last spoke. Not a day went by that Brittany didn't miss her. She had carried a _deep_ guilt around with her these past few years. There was a time that the two were inseparable. Things had really changed.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A quick thank you to those of you reading. I appreciate it. **_

_**I know this has moved slower than most and that it's not the "typical" Brittana story, but it'll come full circle. I hope you keep reading. **_

**Friday already**

Santana couldn't believe how quickly the week had gone by. It was Friday afternoon and the Cheerios were getting one last practice in before heading off to their competition on Saturday. As usual, Sue had her megaphone in hand shouting things at her team of teenagers that would get most educators fired.

"Let's go saddle bags!" She screamed with a vein popping out in her forehead. "Ten more laps! You need to drop at least five more pounds so your weak as tin foil teammates can toss AND catch you!"

Santana grimaced. She made a promise to herself that she would not talk to the girls like that. It may have worked for Sue and for Santana herself at one time as well. However, Santana was a different person these days and had her own morals and beliefs as to how people should be treated. For now though, there was nothing she could do about it. The Cheerios were still under Sue's direction for a couple more days. The dark haired woman watched quietly as the girls executed their lifts with perfection. Flawless.

"Looking good!" A voice whispered in Santana's ear. She turned to see BJ standing there watching the routine, but not before BJ saw her face turn another two shades of pink. Her cheeks burned. "The routine." BJ nodded towards the Cheerios.

"Umm…. Yeah!" Santana was flustered. She thought the coach was talking about her! She hoped she was able to hide her embarrassment. "They're hard work has really paid off. I wasn't so sure they'd be able to nail this one. They are definitely ready to compete. I know they'll do well."

"When do you guys leave?"

"The team leaves at six thirty tomorrow morning."

"Aren't you going with?" BJ asked cocking her head to the side.

"Oh no. This is Sue's weekend. I'm staying back. I'll have my day soon enough. Besides, I'm not sure if I can stand the ol' hag and her megaphone for thirteen straight hours."

BJ laughed and nodded. "Totally understand." With a quick look at her watch, the basketball coach said, "It's about that time…"

At that moment, Sue ended practice a whole thirty seconds early. It was a miracle. The basketball team made their way on to the court and BJ said to Santana, "If you aren't doing anything tonight, feel free to stop by. I'm having a pre-game day party."

"Who's all coming?" Santana questioned.

"Just me, myself and I. I think there's room for one more."

Santana just shook her head and laughed at the cheesy sense of humor. "Well, if you don't think it'll be too crowded, I'll be there."

BJ winked at her. She looked forward to hanging out with Santana again. They had talked quite a bit over the last two days. They had so much in common and it was clear that they were becoming fast friends.

**Later on that night…..**

A car door slammed and BJ got up to take a peek out the front window. She watched as the sexy Latina woman got out of her car and walked up the driveway to the door. _ Damn, that girl is fiiiiine!_ She thought to herself and then shook her head to clear the thought. _Knock it off. Don't be an idiot._ It was true. There was no denying that the woman walking towards her door was one hot chick. Exactly her type too. However, that's not what BJ was looking for, nor was she interested in. It became clear a few years earlier that she wouldn't be moving on any time soon- if at all. Someone else consumed her thoughts. There wasn't room or time for anyone else in that capacity.

The doorbell rang. The former hoopster took a deep breath and reached to open the door. "Hey! I thought I heard the bell ring! Kind of hard to hear with the hardcore partying going on." BJ stepped to the side and asked the woman to come in with a sweep of the hand."

"You better keep it down. The po-po be crazy in this town." They both laughed.

"I'm glad you could come. You are officially my first guest. Ever. To this house. Here." The athletic female's stance changed as she felt a twinge of embarrassment revealing that information.

Santana smiled and it put them both at ease. "Let me take your coat." Santana handed it over. She was dressed in grey sweats and a red Nike OSU hoody. "Make yourself at home. I'll grab us a couple drinks. Beer ok?"

Santana nodded and began to look around the house. It was large, clean and beautiful. Actually, it hardly looked lived in. After further inspecting the room, she noticed some pictures on the wall. She assumed that many of the unfamiliar faces were family. There were some team pictures from BJ's playing days and her time coaching. Santana recognized and even knew a few of them. She smiled remembering her own OSU days as BJ reappeared with a couple of cold one's.

"I've got a pizza coming. I thought we'd just kick it if you're cool with that?"

Santana nodded. BJ had a different type of swag off of school grounds. It was intriguing. The doorbell rang again.

"Pizza man." She stated matter of factly. "We'll go downstairs- first door on the left." She pointed down the hallway.

The shorter girl made her way down the hallway to the stairs. She took in each picture on her way down. BJ's eyes had a sparkle in each of them that she seemed to be missing now. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her jaw dropped. The set up was amazing! The basement was complete with a full bar, theatre seating, the biggest tv screen she had ever seen, trophies, pictures, framed jerseys, and class. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned to see BJ coming down with the pizza.

"Let me help you!"

"I've got it. It's just a pizza. Let's go over to the bar. I've got everything we need over there."

"You've got a great set-up here."

"Thank you. I had it done when I moved in. I didn't have a whole lot going on, so the work was done fairly quickly. I did most of it on my own. One of the perks of having a lot of free time…I guess?" Santana wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or not, but she chose not to answer it. She understood what it was like to be alone and was grateful for the new found company.

They dug into the pizza and it didn't take long for the two women to finish it off. Neither one had eaten since lunch time. As they finished, Santana insisted on helping clean up. It was the least she could do. As they cleaned up the area in front of them, Santana noticed a few more pictures on the mirror behind the bar.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "I forgot all about this!"

There, stuck to the mirror, partially hidden by another picture, was a photo of OSU's Big Ten Championship team, some of the band members and the cheerleaders. Standing next to Coach E was Santana. Both women scanned the picture and laughed.

"So close, yet so far away." Stated BJ. "That was a great year."

"I can't believe it! We were standing right next to each other! All you ever said to me was _hi…_"

"We were at different stages in our lives then. As much as it pains me to admit it, I _AM _older than you."

Santana shook her head. "I can't believe it."

Standing on the other side of Santana was the tall, thin blonde. Both of them looked so happy. She noticed Santana's gaze hover over the two of them for a bit longer. She decided to ask about the blonde.

"You miss her don't you?"

"W-w-what? Who?"

"Her." BJ pointed to Brittany in the picture.

Santana shrugged. "Sometimes."

_Every second of every day._ She thought. _And Actually more than that._

"Where is she?"

"Well, at one point she was in New York. Then I heard it was Atlanta. Last I heard she was California somewhere." Santana looked at the picture again and let out a sigh. "I haven't spoken to her in about three years."

"I remember seeing you two together everywhere." The coach said. "What happened?"

Santana opened a bottle of water that had been set down in front of her. BJ studied Santana's eyes and expression. Santana took a deep breath and began to play with her bottle cap. She had never really talked about it. When Brittany left, Santana stayed in their apartment- what had been their apartment- for 8 straight days. She only answered one call. It was Brittany's call to let her know that she made it safely to New York. Brittany had called every one of the next seven days, but Santana couldn't bring herself to answer. She didn't want Brittany to know how much she was struggling- especially since every message that Britt left was so bubbly and cheerful. Santana didn't think Brittany was having a hard time at all without her. Santana never wanted to let anyone think she was weak, so she avoided everyone until she was able to act like everything was ok.

"San….. you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. If you ever want to though, I've been told that I'm a pretty good listener."

The raven haired woman shook her head. "No, it's ok. I do miss her. I have every day since."

Over the next forty five minutes, BJ sat and listened to Santana tell her story.

_Near the end of the season during their sophomore year, Brittany had been approached after a game at Syracuse. They had traveled with the team for the NCAA tournament. She had filled in with the dance squad when one of their members was injured. She had been offered an audition with the New York School of Dance. Her lifelong dream was to be a dancer and she was so excited about the audition that she sprinted and tackled Santana. She was the first person she wanted to tell. Brittany grinned from ear to ear and jumped up and down like a five year old on Christmas morning. Santana knew what an opportunity it was for her and nothing made her happier than seeing Brittany happy. _

_The two young women sat down and spoke at length about Brittany's opportunity when they returned to Columbus. Brittany didn't want it to change their relationship and was willing to cancel her audition. Santana wouldn't let her. She knew this might be Brittany's only chance to live out her dream and she surely didn't want to be the one to stand in the way of that. She helped her set up a rehearsal schedule and watched her daily. Filming her so Brittany could see for herself where she needed to make improvements and offering words of encouragement and support. The two did this for the four weeks leading up to the audition. Inseparable as usual._

_Santana accompanied Brittany to New York over spring break. Just as Santana expected, Brittany nailed her audition. She was offered an invitation to enroll for the next term that evening. She told them she wanted to think about it, but Santana knew she was going. After two days of extensive conversation, Santana convinced Brittany to go. This was the chance of a lifetime. In the months remaining before Britt moved, they spent every possible waking minute together. They both knew that it was going to be hard, they just didn't realize how hard._

_After those first eight days, Santana finally called Brittany. They were able to work out a call schedule and stuck to it religiously. Santana went to visit after Brittany had been there a month and gotten settled. As much as they wanted things to remain the same, they were different. Brittany had such a hectic schedule that they hardly got to spend any time with each other and when they did, Brittany was exhausted. When Santana was getting ready to leave, they both realized that things were changing. They still loved each other- that was never a question, but things would never be like they were. The phone calls went from daily, to weekly, to monthly. Then they went from monthly to bi-monthly, and soon just on holidays and birthdays. Finally, they stopped._


	5. Chapter 5

**Many thanks again to those reading! **

**References in this chapter to the movie "Brown Sugar." I own nothing, just borrowing to help tell the story.**

* * *

><p>A comfortable silence fell across the room. BJ quietly studied the Latina's face. She wore a sad expression, but looked relieved at the same time. Santana finally put the bottle cap down. She had played with it the entire time she talked. Then, she looked up. There was extended eye contact as the women searched each other's eyes for something. Neither of them really knew what they were looking for. BJ was the first to break as she turned back towards the bar. Santana wondered if she had shared too much.<p>

"Too much information?"

BJ shook her head. "No not at all. I'm just processing."

There was silence again. Santana realized that she had to use the bathroom and asked where it was.

"It's that door over there." BJ pointed towards the other side of the room.

As she watched Santana head towards the bathroom thoughts of her own past crept back in to her mind. BJ stood up and walked over to a shelf near the large television screen. She pulled out a brown book. The cover was a bit worn and there were some loose pictures inside as well. She piled them together and put them on the arm rest, as she sat down in one of the theatre chairs. As she flipped through the pages it was like a story book. Each picture was like a page of her life. Scanning each photo slowly, she remembered how much she missed her old teammates, her friends. It was a tight knit group and they looked out for each other. With all of their success on the hardwood they had to. Even then, they had to be cautious of crazy fans. "Be polite and acknowledge them." Their coach would always tell them. She would also tell them to watch their backs. More than once there would be a couple strangers hanging out after games, waiting to try to talk to and get one of their numbers. There were always a couple aggressive one's that they were on the lookout for. BJ never worried about that though. Her own special someone was always waiting for her after all the home games. It started as friendship and quickly grew into love. It was easy. It was comfortable. BJ flipped another page and stared at her own blonde.

With a slight creak, the bathroom door opened and Santana re-entered the room. BJ set the album on the coffee table as she looked up. "Are you ok Lopez?"

Miss Lopez smiled sweetly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

BJ nodded. "How do you feel?"

"I actually feel like a weight has been lifted. A bit relieved."

"Good. Then progress has been made." BJ stood up. "I'm going to grab something else to drink. Do you want anything?"

"Sure, I'll have another bottle of water."

"No problem. I just need to run upstairs quick. Have a seat. The remote is there if you want to see if anything is on TV." BJ turned and jogged up the stairs.

Santana reached for the remote and flipped through a few channels before settling on a movie channel. Brown Sugar was on. It was one of her favorites. As she set the remote down, the worn album caught her eye. She glanced at the stairs and then picked it up. She began to flip through the pages. It looked like BJ had a blast in college. As she studied the pictures carefully looking for anyone she might know she noticed how BJ's eyes danced in all the pictures. She also noticed a particular blonde with her in many of the photos. She flipped a few more pages. There were several shots of just the two of them. Santana couldn't place her. She didn't know if she had gone to OSU or not. The new blonde was a little taller than BJ. She was very attractive. Her hair was long and had a natural curl. She had piercing blue eyes like Brittany. She wore just the right amount of makeup and looked almost flawless. In some pictures she was in sweats and in others she was wearing high end clothes. Either way, it didn't matter. She looked good. She also looked _very_ attached to McKinley's hoops coach.

Santana heard footsteps coming back down the stairs. BJ handed her a bottle of water and then left a seat between them as she sat down. She glanced at the album in Santana's lap but didn't say anything. Santana flipped a few more pages and then closed the book.

"You have a huge heart." BJ said quietly.

She had thrown Santana off. "Sorry?"

BJ chuckled softly. "Brittany." She said. "You pushed her to pursue her dream. You put her needs ahead of your own. No matter how much it hurt- how much it still hurts. It takes a person with a huge heart to do something like. Especially seeing how much it heartache it caused you."

Santana felt herself blush. "If I could do it all over again, I would."

"I know you would." BJ stared straight ahead. "Brown Sugar? This flick is one of my favorites."

"Mine too!"

"So when did you fall in love with hip hop?" BJ smiled, but it was a serious question.

Santana turned to face the woman next to her. "When I was eight." It came out quickly and with no hesitation. "When did you fall in love with hip hop?"

"Early nineties. I've got all the classic hip hop albums." BJ smirked.

Santana glared at her.

"What? Aren't we talking about hip hop here?" Knowing full well that she was dodging Santana's question she laughed playfully. She fully understood the metaphor.

Santana gave her a playful punch in the arm. "Fine. You're no fun." Then she slid into the seat next to BJ. She sat there for a minute as BJ grabbed a different remote. As she hit a couple buttons, the lights dimmed theatre like. The basketball coach slid back in her seat and the cheer coach in waiting snuck a glance. She really did feel lighter. Then, without thinking, she rested her head on BJ's shoulder. Neither said a word, but inside, both panicked for a minute or two. They watched the rest of the movie in silence, enjoying each other's company.

As the credits rolled, Santana picked her head up and then gave BJ a hug. "Thank you." She whispered.

"You're welcome?" It came out as a question.

"I've never shared any of it with anyone. Ever."

"Well thank you for sharing it with me. I get it. I've been there. Well, not the same situation obviously, but similar. It's hard to move on without closure. Sometimes talking about it helps. I've heard that time heals, but the hardest part is giving time time."

Santana nodded. Give time time. She'd never heard that before, but it made complete sense. How much time was enough time though?

"It's late. I think you should just crash here tonight. I mean, I'm sure I can find you an empty bedroom here somewhere." Santana looked at her watch and agreed.

They turned everything off in the basement and made their way upstairs. BJ showed Santana to one of the spare bedrooms. "I will get you some clothes."

Santana lay down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. Time seemed to fly when they hung out. She didn't know if she was just thankful for the company or if she was finally starting to move on. She thought about it for a few more minutes as she waited. She knew she would never truly move on. Besides, at this point, it was just so good to have someone to call friend she didn't want to screw it up.

There was a soft knock on the door frame. "Still awake?" BJpeered around the door and brought in a pair of shorts and a soft worn in t-shirt. It was one that Santana had seen her wearing in a few of the pictures.

"Thanks."

"Least I can do after keeping you out so late and all." BJ grinned sheepishly. "So, the bathroom is just down the hall to the left, I'm two doors down to the right. Are you all set?"

"Yes, I'm good. Thank you."

"Aight then." The Baller said with a slight twang. "Sleep tight."

"Goodnight BJ." Santana changed and turned the light out as she crawled into the queen sized bed. She heard the floor creak outside the door as the other woman walked down the hall to her own room.

The lights were off, but the moon shined brightly through the window. Santana turned on her side and realized that she was actually able to see the moon. She stared at it peacefully. She felt different. Calm. Or something. She didn't know how to describe it. _Maybe talking about it really was just what I needed…._she thought to herself.

As she continued to look out the window her thoughts drifted to Brittany. She wondered where exactly she was and how she was doing. She wondered if she had found someone new. For a second, she thought it might be best if she didn't know the answer to that, but then thought twice about it. Enough time had passed that she would be able to handle it like an adult. Maybe. Brushing her long black hair out of her face she rolled on her back and looked at the ceiling. She slowly closed her eyes and images of Brittany quickly consumed her. "Whatever you're doing Brittany, I wish you nothing but happiness." She whispered ever so softly. Then she reached over to the night stand to grab her phone. She scrolled through the names until she came to Brittany's. She wondered if she still had the same number. With her thumb hovering over the call button Santana fought with herself. Her thoughts went back and forth and she felt her heart rate speed up. She closed her eyes and reached back over to set the phone down. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep with images of Brittany dancing in her head.

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><p>Another week had gone by at a decent pace. Boxes were still scattered throughout the apartment. The piles of items were still there too. Not too much had changed in the past couple of days. Sitting on the coffee table in front her was that same picture of she and Santana. Brittany stared at it. Her thoughts wondered. <em>I wonder where she is right now. I wonder if she's happy. Does she miss me at all? Does she even remember me?<em> Brittany shook her head. She realized how tired she was and decided it was time to go to bed.

After she got herself ready, she wandered back into the living room to pick up the picture. She carried it back to the bedroom and propped it up against the lamp on her nightstand. As she sat on the edge of her bed she memorized the picture. She realized that she had forgotten to plug her cell in, so she went to the kitchen to retrieve it. As she connected the charger she couldn't help but scroll to Santana's name. _I wonder if she still has the same number? _ Brittany contemplated calling, but shot that idea down quickly. _Well, maybe just a text….. nah forget it. If she really wanted to talk to me she would have the last few years._ Sadly, the blonde set the phone down. She turned off the lamp and crawled under the covers. Even with the lights off, the room was well lit. Brittany turned her head to look out the window. It was beautiful. It wasn't quite full, but it shined brightly and it was huge. It seemed so close. She almost felt like she could reach out the window and touch it. She wondered if Santana had noticed it. On nights like this back in Columbus the two girls would go up to the rooftop, enjoy the peacefulness and each other's company. She let her thoughts take her back to those days and she drifted off to sleep.

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><p><strong>Next chapter will have a main focus on Brittany.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**So here is the next chapter. I wanted to get into Brittany's thoughts with this one and give you her perspective. Many thanks to those who are reading and I hope you enjoy!**

**I own nothing. Just using ideas to tell the story.**

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><p>The bright light shining through the window caused Brittany to stir. Slowly she opened her eyes and groaned as she quickly shut them again, covering her face with the pillow beside her. The moon was so beautiful last night, but this morning she wished she had taken the time to get up and close the blinds. As she lay there, her mind traveled back to her thoughts prior her slumber. She felt a twinge in her chest. It was an old familiar feeling, albeit one that she hadn't felt in ages, one that was reserved for one dark haired Latina beauty. It was strange to her how just the thought of her old flame could still melt her heart so easily.<p>

Brittany pulled the pillow off her eyes and decided that it was time to face the world. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up as long locks of blonde hair fell around her face and shoulders. Taking a deep breath the sleepy blonde pushed the covers to the side and swung her feet around to touch down on the cool wood floors. Not really in any hurry to actually get up, she sat there shaking her head slightly, as she attempted to clear her mind.

Despite the fact that she and Santana never had a proper end to their relationship, Brittany had done well these past few years. Her tour schedule had her on tour buses for months at a time and that meant little alone time. She would travel from one city to the next and then hop a flight to the next country for international stops. She loved the friends she had made dancing. They had become a family away from home. There was always a void though. One that no one could fill, so, she lost herself in her dancing. It kept her from thinking too much. It kept her from breaking down. Dancing, kept her as close to whole as possible. Then the time came when it just wasn't enough and thus her decision to walk away. With all the happiness that dancing brought, the opportunities, and the friendships, it just wasn't enough anymore.

Brittany finally stood up and headed toward the kitchen. Then she almost sprinted back to her bedroom in a panic. "Did I…?" She asked the space around her. Scrambling around her room, she frantically searched for her cell. She thought she had set it on the night stand, but it wasn't there. She threw the sheets off the bed and heard a crack. There it was, still plugged in. The tall blonde dove across the bed reaching to the floor on the other side picking it up. She hit the touch screen and scrolled quickly. "Thank goodness!" As she had entered the kitchen she remembered that she had had thoughts of calling or texting Santana just to see if the number was still the same. For the life of her she couldn't remember if she had actually done it or not. She sighed with relief. Honestly, what would she say after all this time? Brittany didn't know and felt the fear of rejection. She put her phone on the nightstand and headed back to the kitchen.

She hit the one cup button on her coffee maker and waited for the machine to drip her out a cup of life. She grabbed the mug when it was finished and went to sit in the living room. Dancing wasn't always a glamorous job, but landing a gig with the right celebrity usually meant a decent sized pay check. She made enough to pay for a large one bedroom apartment that overlooked the city. She had almost an entire wall of windows that allowed her to take in the fantastic views. Looking over L.A. this morning she felt she was looking over a sea of opportunity and maybe someday she would move back here, but for now, she was packing up her life and getting ready to close this chapter. Ohio seemed like a world away, but it would always be home to her. Slowly, Brittany finished her coffee and decided to get things moving by hitting the shower. After all, she was going out tonight. It would be good to hang out with friends. She didn't know how many more opportunities she'd have to do this so she wanted to make sure she didn't miss one of them.

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><p>Britt had the music going pretty good as she finished getting ready for her night out. The door bell rang and she slid across the floor like a little kid trying to get there to answer it. She giggled to herself as she reached for the knob.<p>

" Pierce!"

"Hey guys! So glad you all came! I've missed you! Come on in."

A group of six made their way inside the apartment. It was true, she missed them. They hadn't all hung out since the tour ended. Each of them had taken some well deserved vacation time and alone time. Brittany was happy they were there. They would meet the rest of the group out later, but she wanted to spend some time with those she was closest with. She hadn't told any of them that she was moving yet. Telling them was going to be the most difficult part of the night, but she was certain and it was time to tell them.

"Mind if I give myself a tour?" Amanda asked.

"Have at it! Don't get lost though!" Brittany chuckled.

Amanda, Steve, and Casey had never been there before, so the three of them took the grand tour together. After taking in the kitchen, the bathroom, and the office, they made a stop at Brit's bedroom door and took a peek. They weren't going to go in, but Casey noticed the view from the bedroom window so they went to take a look. "Breathtaking." Casey whispered. As they were about to return to the rest of the group, Amanda's eye was caught by the picture sitting on Brittany's night stand. She wondered who the other girl was in the picture. She'd never seen her before. She didn't think she'd ever seen Britt as happy as she looked in that photo either. She would make a point to remember to ask her.

The group spent a couple hours laughing and enjoying each other's company and was about to begin to get their things together so they could head out for the night. Brittany took a deep breath. Now was as good of time as any. "Guys, wait. Can you all have a seat for a second? T-There's something I want to tell you before we go." Amanda was curious and sat down right away and the others looked at her questioningly.

"Sure Britt. What's up? You know you can tell us anything." Casey stated with a bit of concern. Brittany nodded.

"This is tough. Harder than I thought it was going to be…" The six waited patiently for Brittany to get her thoughts together. "Ok, there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it. I'm moving back to Ohio."

There was a temporary silence until Stacey said, "Well, I guess that would explain all the boxes in the other room."

"Yes it would." said Casey. "Why Britt?"

Brittany's eyes were on the floor. Quietly she said, "Well, it's hard to explain really. I've put a ton of thought into it. Honestly, I started thinking about it on the last leg of the tour. Dancing has always made me happy."

"Exactly! So why are you moving again?" Steve exclaimed.

"Something has been missing. I've just never felt whole. For the longest time, I really felt like it was all that I needed, but, more and more, I've realized it's not. Plus, I've had this weird feeling that I need to be at home. I can't really describe it…it's kind of like a magnetic pull I suppose."

Amanda nodded. "It's ok Brittany. You know we'll always be here for you. We're family! You need to do what's best for you and if moving to O-HI-O is it, then so be it."

"That's just it- you guys _are_ family to me. Another reason this is so hard."

Tavian and Spencer had been silent the entire time. They both stood up and engulfed Brittany is a huge hug. It didn't take long for the other's to join in. "You know we'll always support you in whatever you choose to do." Tavian said softly. Spencer could only nod as a tear welled up in the corner of his eye. That site made Brittany's eyes water and they both began to laugh at the silly site of each other trying not to cry.

"So Pierce….when is the moving date?" asked Casey.

"There isn't an exact date yet. As you can see, I'm still packing and I've got some loose ends that I want to make sure I get tied up here before I leave. Since it's October now, I'd like to be home before Christmas.

"I see." Casey responded. "Well, I think it's only appropriate that we take the time that we have left together in the same city and celebrate. She grabbed what was left of the bottle of Champaign and poured everyone a sip. They raised their glasses in a toast to "family."

It had turned out to be a great night. The group hit up a few clubs and danced the night away and into the early morning. Brittany and Amanda had headed up to the bar to get some water and to cool off a bit. "So you're really doing this aren't you?" Amanda asked.

Brittany nodded. "Yep. I guess I am. I just think it's where I need to be."

"Good for you." They hugged. "So, tell me, is there someone special that you're headed back there for?"

Brittany shook her head. "My family still lives there obviously, but in terms of someone special… there hasn't been anyone in years." Her thoughts suddenly jumped to Santana.

"Hey laaadies!" The two women turned to find Steve standing there with a goofy grin on his face. Someone had gotten a little tipsy. "I hate to be the party pooper of the crew, but it's time for this boy to get his beauty sleep." The smiled and nodded. After gathering the rest of the group they hailed a cab back to Brittany's.

Once everyone found a spot to crash, Brittany went to the kitchen for a glass of water before heading to her room. She sat on her bed and noticed how the moon still lit up the room even at this hour. The sleepy blonde found herself reaching for the picture of her and Santana without even realizing it. A few minutes must have passed before she noticed Amanda knocking softly on the door frame. "Are you ok BP?" Brittany smiled at the use of her familiar name. BP was a nickname she was given on tour. Not only was it her initials, but everyone in the dance crew called her Beyonce's Pride. They couldn't call her that around everyone, so BP became code. After all, she was Beyonce's favorite back-up dancer.

Brittany nodded. Amanda sat down on the bed beside her. "So…. who is this lovely lady in the picture with you?"

"Santana."

"That's an exotic name." She didn't know the girl in the picture, but for some reason, she felt the name fit. "I thought you said there was no one special?"

Brittany shook her head. "There isn't. That was a lifetime ago."

"Where is she now?"

"I-I'm not sure. We just sort of lost touch after a while."

"Sort of? So you guys were just like close friends or something?"

"Uh, well, more than that."

"Bad break up?" Amanda quizzed her.

"No." Brittany looked down at the floor. "Actually, there wasn't a break up at all. Everything just stopped. We never talked about it…"

"So wait, let me get this straight….. you were in a relationship with this girl?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"On and off through the first couple years of high school, but exclusive for about four years."

"So you were in an exclusive relationship with this hottie for four years and you never broke up? You just stopped talking to each other?" Amanda was talking quite loud now and she tried to process the information. She wasn't doing a good job of hiding her disbelief.

Brittany nodded. "There's more to it than that."

"You look happy there. Happier than I've ever seen you."

Brittany nodded. "I was."

"So where is this girl now?"

"I'm not sure. Last I had heard, she went on to graduate with honors from Ohio State and then earned her Master's degree. I don't know where she is now. It's been three years since we last spoke."

Amanda sat next to Brittany quietly for the next few minutes. She always knew that Brittany was missing something or someone. This must be the someone. "You miss her don't you?"

"Everyday."

"So why don't you just call her?"

"Like I said Amanda, it's a long story."

"And all I've got is time right now. "You've got to talk about it sometime."

Brittany looked at the picture again and ran her long fingers over it before she looked out over the City of Angels.

"She was my everything," Brittany said quietly, "and I left her alone."

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><p><strong>I'm already working on the next chapter and it will include a little from both Santana and Brittany. I hope to have it posted soon. Oh and no worries! BJ and Santana will NOT be hooking up!<strong>

**Thanks again for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for the reviews, alerts, and favs. Much appreciated. Like I said, not your typical Brittana story, but glad you are enjoying it.**

**I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. I'm going to move things a bit quicker after this!**

**I own nothing. Just borrowing to tell this story.**

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><p>The next few weeks flew by. Santana had taken over the Cheerios without a hitch. Sue still came to practice every day and shouted her insults to the members of the squad, but it was Santana's crew now. Their new routines had a hip hop flare and if possible, they had an even bigger following than before. Santana was even able to talk BJ into letting them perform at half time of the girl's games. The combination of a winning basketball team and a championship cheer squad didn't leave many empty seats in the gym these days.<p>

Thanksgiving came and went. BJ didn't have any plans to go home to visit her family because of the holiday tournaments they were participating in, but Santana managed to talk her into spending the day with her and her family. BJ was grateful for her friendship with Santana. Holidays were tough enough, but spending the day entirely alone would have just been pathetic. She had met Mr. & Mrs. Lopez after one of the basketball games. They came to watch Santana's squad perform and ended up becoming new basketball fans as well. The Lopez's were thankful for the friendship that had formed as well. Her mother commented that Santana seemed a little happier these days and thanked BJ for being such a good friend. Mrs. Lopez had no idea how important Santana had become to BJ as well.

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><p>There was just a week left before Christmas break. Today, they would have their final staff meeting of the year. BJ and Santana joined Coach Beiste and Mr. Schue at a table near the front of the teacher's lounge. After exchanging pleasantries, Figgins began the meeting by announcing that everyone could pick up their Christmas Turkey bonus after school in the main office on Friday. He then announced that there would be some changes taking place in the next semester. It was announced that Will would be going on sabbatical for the remainder of the year as he traveled to New York to fulfill some of his dreams working on stage. In his absence, they would be opening up a position to take over the Glee Club. The person clearly must be able to sing, teach music, and choreograph. If the position was not filled in the coming weeks, the duties would be split among the qualified staff, which, Santana new at this point, would fall on her shoulders. That would also mean that Sue would come back to work with the Cheerios. <em>It's not like she doesn't still work here anyway. I did love Glee. It might be fun to get involved with it again.<em> Santana thought to herself.

The meeting ended and everyone went their separate ways. BJ noticed the look on Santana's face during the meeting. She also knew someone that might be qualified for that position. She just had to put some pieces together and find a way to carry out her plan.

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><p>A couple weeks ago BJ had stopped into one of the local shops at the mall to try and get a little Christmas shopping done. A kind, middle aged woman helped her pick a few things out for her mother. BJ noticed something about the woman. She had distinct features. She'd seen them somewhere before. The women engaged her in small talk and she knew that BJ was the girls basketball coach at McKinley. She mentioned that her youngest had just graduated a couple of years ago. Her oldest was a McKinley grad too, but had spent the past few years traveling for work. She was in California now, but would be coming back soon. The younger woman could sense how happy this mother was to have her daughter coming home. They talked a bit more while the older woman gift wrapped the presents that BJ had purchased. She still couldn't help but wonder why this woman looked so familiar. It was clear to her that this was their first meeting, but there was just something about her. After the woman had finished the wrapping and BJ had paid her, the younger woman noticed a small picture frame near the register. There were four of them standing in front of Madison Square Garden below a "Beyonce I Am World sign." "Is this your family?"<p>

The woman nodded and her smiled beamed with pride. "You have a beautiful family ma'am."

"Please, call me Susan. I'm not old enough to be a ma'am yet." The woman chuckled.

BJ smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your help! I'll definitely be back!

"You're welcome. Best of luck Coach!"

"Thank you! Happy Holidays!"

BJ walked out of the shop and turned back to look at the name of the place. Pierce's Puzzles & Such. _Brittany's mom_. _So Brittany's coming home for Christmas._ She knew what she was going to get Santana for Christmas. She made up her mind then and there that she was going to get the two of them in the same room somehow, someway.

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><p>Santana and BJ had spent quite a bit of time together the past few weeks. They had been watching each other's practices when possible and Santana was obviously at all the home basketball games. BJ never got to watch the half time routines so that's why she took in the practices each week. She didn't mind being there. She loved hip hop after all and she had been able to provide the inspiration for a couple of their routines. She even showed the Cheerios a couple dance moves that they incorporated. Santana had no idea she could dance until she busted a move while making a suggestion for their routine. The two had become each other's biggest supporters.<p>

Santana had slowly let her walls down and BJ had learned quite a bit about her in a fairly short period of time. On the other hand though, BJ hadn't shared much and it was frustrating at times for the Latina. She couldn't help but think that there was so much that she didn't know about her friend yet. She wondered why BJ was so guarded. There hadn't even been a hint. It was like a mystery that she just had to solve.

Santana typically left the building about forty five minutes after practice, but tonight she got her own workout in and after she had showered, decided to wait for BJ to finish running her own practice. She sat up in the corner of the bleachers out of the way so she wouldn't be a distraction to anyone. As she hugged her knees into her chest, she found herself really paying attention to the little things as basketball practice on this night. Making mental notes, the cheer coach noticed how Coach Eckles focused on the minor details. How important they were to the big picture. The hoops coach corrected foot work, screening angles, floor positioning, and taught her players to read defense so that they were able to make the correct cut to get open. She taught them to communicate with each other and not just to shout random terms that all teams "communicate" with. She taught them what and how to communicate and why. The results so far had been a winning season. However, what impressed Santana the most was the way practice ended.

"Bring it in!" The team circled up at half court. "You see girls, all these little things that we spend so much time on each afternoon are not just about us learning how to win basketball games. Basketball is just the tool that I'm using to teach you about life. You have to pay attention to the details. The details are what make life so exciting. Most people do just enough to get by and think that that is success, but those that pay attention to the little things and don't coast, are the people that are truly successful. Remember, you can't read the defense if you play too fast and you can't read a book if you flip through the pages too fast. Slow down. Pay attention. Make the right decision. It's the little parts that make the whole possible."

The group of girls circled around the coach had hung on every word and all nodded with understanding. Santana herself had hung on to every word as well. "Great practice today! Now get showered and get home. Hit the books and remember to thank you parents." The team broke their huddle with the word "family."

BJ was wise for her age. Her words made Santana think about her own life as well. The past few years she hadn't paid much attention to the details. She hasn't exactly coasted either, but those words stayed with her. Still hidden up in the corner of the bleachers, Santana was so impressed with the way BJ connected with the team and how effectively she was able to get her message across. She only hoped that she could have a similar effect on her team. The gym had cleared out and BJ must not have ever noticed Coach Lopez enter during practice. She tried to make herself even smaller up there in the corner as she felt like she was interrupting something private.

BJ did a quick scan on the court to make sure all the girls had left. She grabbed a ball off of the rack and took a deep breath. This game had always been her release. Over time, it became her torture as well. Well, not the game exactly. The position. That was the real torture. She rubbed her hands over the leather sphere in her hands. The court was where she always felt at home. It's where she worked her way through her thoughts. It's where she learned to cope. She took another deep breath and went to work.

For thirty minutes straight, Santana watched BJ shoot shot after shot and watched them fall through the bottom of the net. She watched her run sprints, handle the ball with ease, and break down imaginary defenders. It was almost like to was arguing with herself, an internal battle of sorts. Whatever it was, Santana sat enthralled in what was happening before her. Then, after what seemed like the one thousandth shot, BJ just stopped. Drenched in sweat she stood there, breathing heavily, eyes closed, and hands on her hips for a minute or more. Santana watched her mumble something softly and then she grabbed the ball, put in on the rack and headed towards her office.

Santana didn't know what to do. So, quietly, she slipped down the bleachers and to her office in the Cheerios locker room. She had no idea what she just witnessed, but she was more curious than ever. She gathered her thoughts and then her things and made her way back to the basketball office.

BJ , fresh out of the shower, looked up and then to her watch. "Here a little late tonight aren't you?"

Santana shrugged. "I just wanted to go over a few things. " There was silence. "Are you ok?"

Without looking up, BJ nodded. "Couldn't be better." Silence again.

"Dinner?" Brief silence.

"Uh, sure. I've got to make a stop first though. Is eight too late?"

"No, it's perfect. I've got to swing by my folks first anyway."

"OK. I'll walk out with you. I'm done here for the night." They walked in silence to their cars. It was seven o'clock and dark as can be already. "Alright, well… I'll see you at the Pub in a bit ok?"

"OK." Santana replied. She didn't hide the concern in her voice very well.

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><p>BJ arrived at the mall and headed straight for Pierce's. She was on a mission.<p>

"BJ! You're back!"

Laughing, BJ said, "I told you I would be!"

"So what brings you in tonight?"

"Well, I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk? I wanted to ask you a few questions and see if you could help me with something- another Christmas gift of sorts."

"There is no greater gift than serving others. Now, sit. What can I help you with?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long to get this update posted. I actually am in season so I haven't had as much time to work on this as I would like.

Thank you for the reviews/alerts/favs. I didn't know if anyone would want to read this, but I really appreciate those of you that are!

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><p>BJ glanced at her wrist to check the time. She was supposed to meet Santana at eight for dinner. She excused herself from the conversation with Mrs. Pierce briefly to send Santana a text to let her know she was going to be late. Her phone vibrated in her hand on her walk back to the counter. To her relief, Santana was running a behind as well.<p>

"So, Brittany will be getting back into town on the twenty third?" BJ asked, wanting to make sure she had all of the necessary information.

"Yes, I'm not sure what time yet, but I will make sure that she is at the school on time." Answered Mrs. Pierce.

"And you really think that all of this is going to go over ok between the two of them? I mean what if this is a horrible idea and it completely backfires?"

"BJ, the only person that knows my daughter as well as I do is Santana Lopez. The only person that has ever truly made Brittany happy is Santana Lopez. The only person that has ever made my daughter feel complete is-

"Santana Lopez." They said in unison.

Mrs. Pierce smiled and then continued, "They never had any closure to their relationship because neither of them could say goodbye. They're soul mates. You figured that out and you've never even met my daughter."

BJ sat silently for a moment while she gathered her thoughts. This whole scheme was a bit risky and it definitely had the fuel to start a fire. She just hoped it was the right kind of spark; the one to re-ignite the flame that had once flickered so brightly between them. As the two women finalized their remaining plans, BJ gathered her things and set out to meet Santana.

Once outside, BJ allowed herself to take a deep breath and carefully went through her thoughts once more, just to make sure she hadn't left out any details. You see, Mrs. Pierce had informed BJ that Brittany wasn't just coming home for the holidays; she was moving home permanently. She didn't have a job lined up, but she made enough money on tour that she could live comfortably for quite some time. BJ had informed Brittany's mother that McKinley had posted a new position that needed to be filled before classes started back up after the New Year. She knew that Brittany had been a member of the Glee club and thought that just maybe, Brittany would be interested in taking over while Will was on sabbatical. It could even lead to a full-time position next year. After Susan asked Brittany if she might be interested she gave BJ the ok to go ahead and set up the interview. So far, she had been able to keep it a secret from Santana.

The interview would take place while Santana was not on school grounds. BJ didn't want the two to see each other for the first time there. The hoops coach knew that Figgins was a big fan of Brittany's and she was basically a shoe-in for the position. Not to mention the fact that the position had only been posted within the school and not district wide. So, too celebrate, BJ had rented out the rooftop restaurant. It would have been a fairly difficult task, but given the basketball team's winning ways, BJ had a lot of fans in Lima. It didn't hurt that the owner was an OSU alum either. Yes, she knew that it was late December and an outdoor rooftop restaurant might sound crazy to some, but it was the perfect place for those two women to rediscover what they thought they had lost.

There was a knock on the window of BJ's jeep. Startled, she turned to find Santana standing outside her door. She caught her breath and then opened the door.

"Hey there…are you ok?" Santana asked softly.

Embarrassed, BJ chuckled and answered, "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I kind of spaced out there for a few minutes." Now that she thought about it, she didn't even remember the drive over. _Did I stop at those stop signs?_ She asked herself.

They entered and were seated right away. After they placed their orders, the Latina cleared her throat. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

Santana took a deep breath. "Did I do something to upset you?"

The coach was surprised by the question. "No! No, not at all. Why would you think that?"

"Well, you've been pretty quiet lately. You seem preoccupied and always seem like you have someplace to be."

"To be honest, I do have a lot of my mind, but I promise you have done nothing to upset me. The holidays are always a rough time of year for me."

"You know, I'm a pretty good listener if you ever want to talk about it."

The brunette's eyes dropped quickly and she reached for her water glass, taking a sip before simply nodding. "I know. Thank you." BJ quickly changed the subject. "Do you have plans Friday night?"

Santana shook her head and smiled. She knew BJ would talk when she was ready. She didn't want to prod. "No, actually I don't. "

"Good. Now you do."

"Are you going to fill me in?"

"Nope." She smirked, but she was sure it looked more like a nervous smile. "I'll give you the details as needed. For now though, I'm going to need you to be ready to be picked up at 8pm.

"That's it? There's nothing else? What should I wear?"

"I'll let you know."

Santana had no idea what BJ had in store for her. For some reason though, she already felt the butterflies in her stomach.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Here is the first of two updates! Thanks again for the alerts/favs/reviews.

I own nothing.

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><p>December 23rd was quickly approaching. The plan was in place and there were just a few loose ends to tie up. Brittany's interview was at McKinley was all set up and all the hoops coach had to do was make sure that she and Mrs. Pierce got her there on time. BJ made sure to have some time to hang out with Santana as well. She didn't want to give her another reason to think something was wrong or that she was hiding something. They had become great friends and this was BJ's Christmas gift to Santana. The baller prayed that this was truly what the cheer coach wanted. The Latina had never flat out said it, but BJ could see how much she missed having the dancer in her life. In BJ's mind, it was the least she could do. Santana had helped her keep it together these last few months, even if she had no idea.<p>

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><p>The group stood together in the middle of the now empty living room. The day had finally come. Brittany was moving back to Lima. There were tears shed and hugs all around. While Brittany would miss this place and obviously the people, today she felt even stronger about the need to move home. The group filed out one by one, leaving the blonde alone with her thoughts for a moment. She looked around knowing that this place was always comfortable, but never really "home." She took a deep breath and felt her heart flutter. She felt a strange excitement. It was time.<p>

Turning to the door and running her hand over the light switch, she pulled the door closed behind her one final time. She finished saying her goodbyes and climbed in the waiting cab. Her friends had offered to take her to the airport, but she wanted to take this step on her own. She smiled and waved as the bright gold taxi pulled away from the curb.

She had decided to ship her belongings home as most of them would be going into storage until she found a place of her own anyways. The dancer even sold her car deciding that she didn't want to drive from Cali to Ohio. She had been thinking about getting a new ride anyway. She thought about things like this, but never followed through. This seemed like a great reason to start following through with things. Her mind raced with thoughts while she went through the familiar process of air travel. She made it through security fairly quickly considering it was the holidays. After an unusually short wait, it was time to board. _Lima, ready or not, here I come._ She thought to herself.

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><p>Tonight was to be a night of fun. The women decided they would hit up the town. After a casual dinner, they were headed to Stunner's. Santana suggested they check it out as it was the newest hip hop spot and she knew how much the hoopster loved hip hop. Santana changed her clothes fifteen times before calling BJ.<p>

"What it do?" answered a voice on the other end. Santana chuckled. It never failed -BJ always answered the phone with swag.

Santana took a deep breath and spit out, "I'moutoftheloop!Ihaven'.WHATdoIwear?IneedyourHELP!

"Whoa, slow down chica. I'll be there in twenty to save your raggedy ass." She was kidding of course. Santana never looked bad. She never saw her with a hair out of place.

"Thank you! See you soon!" her smile sang through the receiver.

BJ finished straightening hair, added some eyeliner, and gave herself a once over in the full length mirror in the hallway. Low rise jeans with a fitted black shirt and her favorite grey billabong military jacket definitely gave her a different look than the typical basketball shorts and hooded sweatshirts she usually wore. She was feeling like her old self tonight and ready to have some fun. Satisfied with her looks, she grabbed the keys to her jeep and headed over to Santana's.

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><p>Once in the air, Brittany allowed herself to relax. She pulled out her ipod and slipped her Beats over her ears. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts consumer her once again. After all, she had more than five hours to herself when it was all said and done.<p>

She was really doing this. She closed the door on the chapter of her life that she thought she wanted most. It was fun and a tremendous experience. Dancing gave her opportunities that she might not have otherwise had. She had visited so many places and met all kinds of people. Her friends were her family away from home, but even as much as she tried to ignore the feeling and keep herself occupied, it just wouldn't go away. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the picture. She opened her eyes slowly and stared at it for while. She put it back in her pocket and closed her eyes again. She didn't need the picture. She had that face memorized. She missed that face. She wanted that face.

She hoped that her family wouldn't mind her coming home a day earlier than she had originally planned. All of her loose ends where tied up in L.A. and most of her friends were returning home for the holidays anyway. She didn't feel the need to stick around an extra day when she could begin her trek home. She had spoken with her mother, but decided to keep it a surprise. She also fought the urge to ask about Santana. She decided that it would be best to get settled before she tried to open another door. She was going to wait until after her interview on the 23rd and stop by the Lopez residence. It had been about two years since she last heard from Santana's parents. Brittany's heart skipped a beat. _What if Santana was there? What if she was there with someone else? _Maybe stopping by unannounced was a bad idea. She decided she'd call first.

While she quietly wondered whether or not Santana had moved on, in her heart of hearts, she knew she personally hadn't. She'd wait forever for Santana if that's how long it took. The tall women stretched in her seat. Luckily it wasn't a full flight and she had some room to stretch out. She looked at her watch and sighed at the fact that she still had two hours of this flight left. It would be late when she landed and once she retrieved her baggage she would take a cab to a nearby hotel. First thing in the morning she was renting a car and making the two and a half hour trek to Lima. Home.

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><p>AN: Sorry for the delay in updating. I know this probably isn't what most of you were looking for as it is a bit of a filler, but felt it was necessary to help tell the story. I actually had to split this into two chapters. So, for those of you that are still with me- Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here is the second update. Had some trouble getting it to flow like I wanted, but BJ is important to this story and there were too many holes that would be left. Hence, this chapter. Oh and we're almost there!

I own nothing.

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><p>The door flew open before BJ could even ring the door bell. "Fina- whoa." Santana's eyes scanned BJ from head to toe. The taller woman squirmed under her gaze. "Look-at-you."<p>

"Yeah, yeah. Are you going to let me in or what?" BJ cocked her head to the side with a smirk.

Santana threw her head back in a hearty laugh. "Come on in." She headed down the hallway. BJ followed. "I hope you can help me out."

"We'll find you _something_ to wear." They entered Santana's room and BJ stopped in her tracks. "Holy shit! Did a tornado hit your room or what? How many times have you changed?"

"Just a couple." She smiled sheepishly.

BJ went straight to the closet and in less than two minutes laid some clothes out on the bed and pointed. "Put these on and finish getting ready."

Santana obliged and took a look at herself in her own pair of low rise jeans, black tank, and camouflage jacket complimented by her favorite pair of black boots. Her hair fell in waves below her shoulders, pulled back a bit on one side. She had to admit, BJ had an eye for clothes. She knew there was a reason she loved going shopping with her. Stunner's was BJ's type of place so she knew she'd fit in just fine if she let her friend pick her outfit.

" 'Bought damn time!" BJ nodded her head approvingly. "Nice."

"Ready to go then?" Santana asked.

"Bet."

Santana was born and raised in Ohio. She always felt that she was a cultured person. However, she had no idea what "Bet" meant in that context. She was too embarrassed to ask, so she always did her best to pretend she knew what it meant. She hoped BJ wouldn't catch on.

They had dinner at Pillsbury's and decided to stop at The PUB for a couple drinks before heading to Stunner's. They ran into Will and Coach Beiste there. BJ listened to the three reminisce about Santana's glee club days. She admired the influence that Will had on her. Amongst the memories and smiles Coach Beiste asked about Santana's nearest and dearest. The laughter and smiles died a bit as Santana shrugged her shoulders saying that the two had lost touch when Brittany went on tour. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other. Beiste nodded and everyone noticed the mood change. Then Will decided it was time to karaoke.

Will and Coach Beiste got up and did their version of "I Need You Now" and received a huge round of applause. Will loved getting on stage. Any stage. It was obviously where he was most comfortable. It didn't take much encouragement and he got back up there to sing "Drift Away." BJ was impressed, but there was way too much country flare going on here. It was fun, but definitely not her sound. She played along though. After another drink and Beiste picking her up like a sack of potatoes, Santana was on stage. The only singing she had done recently was into her hairbrush in front of her bathroom mirror. She flipped through the catalog and decided on "Valerie." Will explained that when she was in high school it was one of her favorites. Santana belted out the tune and began dancing around the stage and she loosened up. The hoops coach loved music, but she had no idea that the cheer coach could sing like that. She had a unique voice. Captivating. BJ applauded with the rest of the audience and Santana blushed as she returned to the table.

"Very impressive Lopez. I wouldn't have guessed that you had chops like that."

"Thanks." She said shyly. "Your turn!"

"Whaa- NO!" BJ feverishly shook her head. "I don't sing, I rap and I'm not getting up there."

"P-p-p-p-p-lease BJ?" Santana batted her eyes. At that moment a round of shots mysteriously appeared at the table.

"A toast!" BJ said. "To holiday surprises." The four tossed back the liquid courage. Santana took BJ by the wrist and was leading her up to the stage.

"Your turn." Santana said again.

BJ obviously wasn't going to win this. "You have to do it with me."

Santana cocked her head to the side. "What…..did you have in mind?"

"Baby Got Back?" the brunette asked half jokingly.

"Ummmm, no. I'll pick."

"Mmm, how about not. I've got one." BJ flipped through the catalog and found what she was looking for. Will and Shannon watched them intently, wondering how Santana got their basketball coach up on stage. "OK, you got it?" BJ asked.

Santana nodded. She didn't know this song, but BJ explained it very well. BJ was going to help her sing part of the first verse, but then she was on her own. BJ was going to handle the rap.

"Don 't read into it. I just like this one." BJ looked into Santana's dark eyes. It was true. She loved this song, and didn't want the Latina to read into the lyrics at all. If they were going to make her sing, she thought this song fit both of their styles and she wouldn't have to be up there along. Perfect.

Before they even reached the chorus, everyone was swaying to the calming beat and enjoying Santana's calming voice backed up here and there by BJ. Santana had never heard it before, but she understood why BJ loved it so much. When the chorus came around the second time, BJ chimed in a bit more:

"When my mind's void  
>You're my joy<br>You're the dream when I sleep  
>And hey I'm for ya yeah I adore ya<br>you're everything that I need  
>I love how you love me<br>If I'm made for you  
>you're made for me<br>It's too good to be true  
>So tell me what we're gonna do now"<p>

They had the whole place feeling this one and then BJ realized that it was almost her turn. For real this time. She inhaled deeply and let them have it.

Right now lets stay in the present  
>Can't worry bout tomorrow cause today is a blessin<br>The world in a state of aggression  
>I find calm in you<br>I see my mom in you  
>It's like a feelin' in ya stomach<br>when you want it so bad  
>If we keep keeping it fresh<br>it ain't gonna go bad  
>I've been through the valley of love<br>Rode through the shores of Cali  
>just to find peace of mind<br>Looking to the sky  
>asking for at least a sign<br>Beautiful you came at such a decent time  
>When we combine it's like good food and wine<br>Flavorful yet refined  
>You remind me of the divine<br>So easy  
>Love can be lost and then found, like Stevie<br>I just love having you around  
>you wearing the gown<br>I'm wearing the crown  
>pound for pound<br>we the freshest couple in town

Will and Beiste were up out of their seats and everyone was whistling and clapping at the end of that verse and Santana couldn't believe her ears. BJ grinned from ear to ear and the Latina belted out the end of the song.

When my mind's void  
>You're my joy<br>You're my dream  
>And hey I'm for ya yeah I adore ya<br>you're everything  
>And I love how you love me baby<br>I'm made for you oh  
>you're made for me<p>

Ooh tell me what we're gonna do  
>Tell me what we're gonna do<br>Tell me what we're gonna do  
>Tell me what we're gonna do<p>

They set the mics back in their stands and laughed as they headed back to their table. "What the hell was that? I had no idea!" Santana threw her arms up in the air at the brunette who was leaning with her arms crossed and a smirk against a pillar next to their table.

BJ shrugged, "There's a lot you don't know about me."

Santana nodded. "Don't I know this."

The two women finished their drinks and decided it was time to hit up Stunner's. They arrived fairly early, but there was already a line forming at the door. Santana grabbed BJ as they headed around the line for the door. A very large bouncer stopped them and took one look at Santana and his stern frown turned into a huge grin. She gave him a hug and he stepped aside to let the two enter. BJ looked at Santana questioningly.

"What? I still know people."

The smaller woman winked and nodded towards the bar. BJ shook her head and nodded down towards the dance floor. They split up there. The DJ was playing a Tribe Called Quest mix and BJ couldn't resist. Santana was learning quite a bit about her friend tonight. Right now, she was enjoying the fact that the dance floor was a level lower than the bar. She watched with curiosity as people began to surround BJ on the dance floor. Her thoughts jumped to another time and another place. Brittany always had the same effect on people once she hit the floor. She couldn't believe this. What was it with her and dancers? "What can I get ya?" The bartender's voice snapped her away from her thoughts quickly. Santana finally made her way to the floor with their drinks and they spent the majority of the night there. It had been a long time since either one of them had had this much fun. There was no mistaking though, places like this reminded her of Brittany and perhaps that's why she typically avoided them.

BJ could see Santana's wheels turning. Gently, she took Santana by the elbow and led her off the floor and upstairs to the third level. It was quieter up there and she still needed to talk to her and see if she was really going to be able to pull off "the plan."They found an empty table at the far end of the room and headed towards it. BJ stopped at the bar and grabbed a couple waters.

"You good?" BJ asked as she sat on a stool.

Santana smiled. "I am. I learned some new things about you tonight."

BJ took a swig and shrugged. "Keep 'em guessin'. That's my motto. Seriously though, where'd you go? I know that look."

"If you know the look then I don't need to tell you."

"That's fair." BJ knew where Santana's thoughts had taken her. "So, if she ever came home would you want to see her?"

Santana looked quizzically at BJ. "I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about it. I mean, I don't even know what I would say to her."

BJ nodded. In her heart, she was hoping that they could pick up things on a good note, but there was bit of doubt in her now. What if that wasn't possible? What if there was too much hurt between the two? She really thought that she had thought of everything, but deep down she wondered. BJ watched as Santana's thoughts raced. She knew the Latina had waited so long for the blonde dancer. She had a feeling she'd wait forever if that's how long it took.

"Are you ready to get out of here? BJ asked out of nowhere.

Santana looked at her watch. "Oh my. Yes. I can't remember the last time I stayed out this late."

"Come on. I'll take you home."

"And you'll stay and tell me something else I don't know about you."

The ride to Santana's was quiet except for the soft beat bouncing from the speakers. BJ sang softly. Santana didn't recognize the song, but the lyrics were settling. BJ put her jeep in park and turned the key off. Quietly she climbed out and went around to open Santana's door. "Come on sleepy head." Once inside, Santana headed to her room and BJ to the spare room. They had done this a few times before. BJ changed and went to brush her teeth. Santana was probably doing the same in her room, so BJ just headed back to the spare. She turned the light off and pulled the covers back. She stopped and then walked out and down the hall to Santana's room. She knocked softly. Santana was still up and opened the door.

"Hey."

"Hey… I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

'I'm good. I had a good time tonight."

"Yeah, I did too. Well, goodnight."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What? Oh. Yeah." There was silence as Santana went to her bed an pulled her own covers back before crawling in.

"You don't have to tell me anything else. I learned quite a bit about you tonight. There's definitely more to you than basketball and hip hop." The Latina smiled a tired smile.

BJ laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess there is."

"Goodnight BJ." Silence.

"December 31st, 2001."

Santana looked at her questioningly.

"That's when I fell in love with hip hop."

She closed the door quietly and headed back down the hallway. She lost had lost hers and she didn't have a say in it. She didn't have a say in Santana's life and she hadn't even met Brittany yet. She was going to make sure that these two didn't waste another day.

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><p>Songs used: Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now by Joss Stone &amp; Common<p>

Guess which two people are in the same city next chapter? Yep, it's time!

Thanks for reading.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **So, let's just say I really lost my way for a while in terms of how I wanted this to go. Thank you to those of you that are still with me. The next chapter is in progress and nearly complete. Found a little inspiration after watching tonight's episode :)

I own nothing.

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><p>"Merry Christmas baby." Brittany hummed reaching out and pulling the pillow closer. As she nuzzled her head into the soft object. She slowly realized that it was a pillow. She opened one eye slightly and then sighed as she pulled the pillow beside her over her eyes. "It was just a dream." She laid there a while longer with her thoughts. She had so many feelings about going home. She couldn't really begin to sort them out. She was consumed with thoughts of Santana more frequently now. She knew why. Lima, Ohio was where it all began for them. That would never change. Brittany sighed again before dragging herself out of the unusually comfortable hotel bed.<p>

Making her way to the shower, a warm feeling came over her. Today was the day. She was going home. She was excited to see her family. She felt kind of strange though. It was weird knowing that she wouldn't be getting back on a plane again in a couple days. It was the first time in years that she didn't have some place to be for a show. She allowed herself to relax and she worked the shampoo through her hair. Once back in town, she decided she would stop at the house first. No one would be there as both of her parents would be at work and her sister would surely be out with her friends on Christmas break. She wanted to take in the familiar surroundings alone first and reconnect. She'd unpack what she had and then make her way to the mall to her mom's store. Brittany hustled though the remainder of her shower. She was getting anxious now.

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><p>BJ woke up way too early. Until she realized that tomorrow was the day. Her eyes shot open. "Holy shit, I've got to get moving." She said aloud to herself. Dragging herself out of bed, she moved quickly to change as she missed the warmth of the bed. She thought about waking Santana to let her know she was leaving, but decided against it. It had been a late night and if things went according to plan, Santana wouldn't be getting much sleep anytime soon. That could be for a couple of reasons. A: the plan worked and if that was the case, Santana and Brittany would have a lot of catching up to do or B: the plan failed and Santana's thoughts would consume her and prevent sleep or she would sleep, but the back of her eye lids would be covered with images of Brittany. BJ knew how both worked.<p>

Quietly opening the door, BJ peaked down the hallway. Santana's door was still shut so that meant she was likely still asleep. The brunette tip-toed down the hallway and the stairs so as not to wake Santana. She went into the kitchen and set the coffee pot to brew a fresh pot in an hour. The aroma would wake Santana. BJ grabbed a pen to leave the Latina a note. She began to write, but then scribbled it out. Shaking her head as she crumpled up the paper and started a new note.

_San,_

_Had a great time last night. Thanks for sharing it with me. Had to run early- a few Christmas gifts left to pick up. I'll call you later. Hope you enjoy the coffee._

_BJ_

Grabbing her jacket and keys off the front table, BJ made sure the door was locked and quietly pulled it closed behind her. Making her way to her jeep, she felt the first of a few snowflakes begin to fall. _How appropriate_ she thought. Getting in and turning the key to the ignition, she grabbed her iPod out of the glove box. She needed to start this day off right. She thumbed through the selections until she found one that brought a smile to her face.

_If tomorrow is judgment day (Sing Mommy)_

_And I'm standing on the front line_

_And the Lord asks me what I did with my life_

_I will say I spent it with you_

She smiled and threw the vehicle in reverse as she looked over her shoulder to back out of the driveway. It was just one of those songs that she could never tire of. It always brought a smile to her face. She sang the next verse a little louder.

_If I wake up in World War III_

_I see destruction and poverty_

_And I feel like I want to go home_

_It's okay if you're coming with me_

So, BJ could rap, she let that cat out of the bag last night, but the fact that she could sing- she kept that under wraps as best she could. Even when she helped Santana with the first verse last night, she kind of mumbled it more than anything. It was a secret that she needed to keep just a little longer. Then the baller belted out the chorus.

_'Cause your love is my love_

_And my love is your love_

_It would take an eternity to break us_

_And the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us_

_'Cause your love is my love_

_And my love is your love_

_It would take an eternity to break us_

_And the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us_

Grinning from ear to ear and nodding her head to the beat, BJ was sure that other motorists were laughing at her as they met her on the roadway. She made eye contact with a driver in the next lane at a stop light as she continued to belt out the tune. The other driver smiled and she could tell he was laughing at her. She didn't care. She was so close to putting together the perfect Christmas gift. Her parents taught her that the holiday was about giving and that's what she intended to do.

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><p>Brittany made it to the rental car place. There was no line and the process went fairly quickly. She and representative walked around the car checking for damage. He tried to make small talk. "So where are you headed for the holidays?"<p>

"Home." She answered a bit more eager than she had planned.

"Where is home?"

"Lima."

The rep nodded. "Spending it with someone special?"

Her thoughts immediately jumped to Santana. This was getting ridiculous she thought. She didn't even know if Santana was in Lima. She had no control of her thoughts all of the sudden. She then realized that she had been quiet a bit too long as the rep raised his eyebrow at her. "Just family." she said quietly.

"Well, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas."

"Thank you, I hope you do as well."

The rep nodded. "If you don't have any questions, I just need your initials here and you are good to go. " he said as he handed her the pen.

"Perfect. Thanks so much. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you and safe travels."

Brittany got in the car and she was on her way. As she merged onto the highway, her thoughts immediately returned to a certain Latina. She had about two hours of driving ahead of her. However, if this was like any other time she got lost in her thoughts, the time would fly by.

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><p>BJ pulled in her garage and bounced up the stairs into her kitchen. She went straight to the freezer and grabbed a toaster scramble to put in the toaster. She went to the front door to get the morning paper and pulled out the sports page as she returned to the island in the kitchen. The scramble popped up and she automatically pushed the lever down again. It always took two cycles. It was a well rehearsed routine. Skimming through the scores and a few stories, her phone buzzed on the counter beside her. She knew it would be Santana before she looked at it.<p>

_After a night like that, all I get is coffee? SMH._ Santana's tone made it through the text.

BJ smirked and typed _Ungrateful. SMH. Ever think that maybe one of the gifts I need to get is your's? _She might as well put the guilt trip on her. That would buy her some time today as well.

_I'm sorry! Thank you for the coffee! You're the best! TTYL_

Mission accomplished. BJ jogged up the stairs forgetting all about her breakfast. She needed to get moving. She needed to stop by The Heights to make sure that everything was a go tomorrow night. She really did have a couple of gifts to pick up, but she always wanted to stop and see Mrs. Pierce to double check the schedule one more time.

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><p>The drive took no time at all. Before she knew it, the slender blonde was walking in the front door of her childhood home. Brittany unpacked her things and walked around the familiar surroundings. It felt strange to be back here, but strange in a good way. She took in everything around her and took a deep breath. This was home, but she still felt like something was missing. She decided she would head to the store and surprise her mom. She also thought about giving Mrs. Lopez a call. She really did want to see them, but since she planned on staying, she figured she would have plenty of time for that.<p>

A short while later, Brittany walked through the main entrance of the mall and smiled at some of the old familiar stores. There were plenty of new ones too. She frowned a bit when she noticed that's Jones' Ice Cream shop was no longer in business. She and Santana used to frequent that place. She always ordered a banana split and Santana one scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone. Memories. As she approached her mom's store she couldn't help the smile forming on her face. Entering slowly, she let her eyes wander around the store in search of her mother. Over in the corner, Mrs. Pierce was helping one of her many customers. Brittany couldn't believe how many people waited until the last minute to buy their Christmas gifts. It always amazed her.

Mrs. Pierce heard the bell ring notifying her that yet another customer had entered the business. She turned to greet them, but stopped in mid sentence and excused herself for just a moment from her customer. "Brittany! You're home early!" She engulf her eldest daughter in a monster hug.

"Mom! I've missed you!" As they both took a step back to get a better look, they realized that the tears were flowing freely.

Brittany chuckled. "Mom, come on now. Get yourself together. We'll have plenty of time to catch up, but right now, you have a store full of people!"

Mrs. Pierce looked around as she wiped her happy tears. "Oh my goodness! You are right. Do you remember how to run the cash register? I think I might need a little help!"

"I think I do and I'm ready to help." Brittany grinned and wiped her own tears as she headed behind the counter to help her mom and her sales associates out.

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><p>BJ walked in the front door of The Heights.<p>

"Hey coach! Great to see you. I've been expecting you- should we go take a look at the space?"

BJ nodded and they made their way to the rooftop. This was the spot. It was the classiest restaurant in the area. The views were incredible and BJ felt her breath hitch as she took in every inch of the panoramic view.

"So what do you think? Is this what you were hoping for?"

"It's perfect John."

John was the owner/manager of the restaurant. He and BJ had OSU ties and when she filled him in on her plan, he was more than willing to help. He knew both the Lopez and Pierce families and was always a sucker for a good love story.

"We'll have the piano and your guitar set up here. The outdoor heaters will be on and it will be a comfortable temperature. We'll have the flames going in all the pits and obviously the white christmas lights will be lit for the season. One single table will be set here and they'll have the 360 degree view."

"360 degree?"

John nodded. "See, these here are electric and drop. We usually keep this side up, but given the occasion, I thought we could go all out." He pushed a button and the dark tinted windows lowered revealing an even more breath taking scene.

"Amazing." BJ whispered. " So, they'll have the entire place correct?"

"Yes, that's correct. You already double checked the food order and everything else will be in place well before your arrival."

"Thank you so much. I just hope it goes off without a hitch."

"Coach, I know both of those women. I know how they were growing up. They were soul mates from the beginning. The heart knows what the heart wants. They'd wait forever for each other if that's how long it took. What you're doing for them...it's wonderful."

John teared up. That was BJ's cue to go. She wasn't good when people cried let alone a middle aged man.

"Thanks again. I'm off to check in with Mrs. Pierce. I'll see you tomorrow evening.

BJ checked her phone as she got out of her jeep in the mall parking lot. It was one o'clock already. She basically sprinted inside. It was still snowing. Once inside, she decided to avoid all distractions and headed straight for her destination.

The business had died down quite a bit since Brittany had arrived and it looked like she and her mom were going to have a little bit of time to catch up. Mrs. Pierce sat down behind the counter as the bell rang once again. She smiled at Britt and began to stand up again to great her latest customer. BJ greeted her with a huge grin and met her with a hug.

"She's here." Mrs. Pierce whispered to BJ.

BJ's eyes showed confusion and then she caught a glimpse of the blonde staring at her curiously from behind the counter. She had ice blue eyes. Amazing. She knew Santana wouldn't be able to resist those. "You must be Brittany." She walked towards her and held out her hand. "I'm BJ, McKinley's girls basketball coach."

Brittany smiled a bright smile as she shook BJ's hand. "So you're the one I have to thank for the interview tomorrow then?"

BJ shrugged, not really sure what to say. She merely suggested it to Figgins and he was happy to run with it.

"I really appreciate it. My mom has told me quite a bit about you. Maybe with some luck, we'll be colleagues soon."

"I don't think you need any luck. Principal Figgins is really looking forward to meeting with you. I'm just grateful that I met your mom here and was able to set something up."

BJ's phone went off and she excused herself from Brittany to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Like you don't know who this is."

BJ smiled. "What's up?" she said quietly as she walked a little further away. She didn't want her to hear Brittany's voice or vice versa.

"I'm bored and I have a couple of gifts to pick up yet. I think I'm going to go to the mall. Do you want to come?"

_Shit shit shit. No, she can't come to the mall. They can't see each other yet. _BJ's mind raced. She had to think of something and quick. She glanced at Mrs. Pierce and hoped that she couldn't see the panic in her eyes.

"You know what, I've already been to the mall and it's ridiculously busy. I know how you hate insane crowds. Besides, we've been to the mall several times already and basically been in every store. Why don't we take a short road trip and hit up someplace different. I'll drive."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Ok, that sounds good. Will you swing by and pick me up or should I meet you somewhere?

"I'll pick you up in twenty minutes. Cool?"

"Cool."

"Bet."

BJ hung up and exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I've got to run and take care of something. You know the holidays. Things keep popping up. Mrs. P. I'll see you in the morning and Brittany, is it alright to just meet you here tomorrow before your interview?"

Mrs. Pierce nodded and tried to hide the worried look on her face. Brittany smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it and thanks again."

"My pleasure." She waved and gave Mrs. Pierce the thumbs up on her way out just to reassure her.

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><p>Songs used: Your Love is My Love by Whitney Houston<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **So this is my second attempt at uploading this. I wanted to get this chapter up before the weekend. I hope you enjoy it! We play on the road this weekend so I am hoping to steal some time to finish the next chapter on the plane.

I own nothing.

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><p>BJ awoke to the sound of her vibrating cell phone. She groaned and pulled the blankets over her head as she rolled over. This <em>plan <em>was definitely wearing her out. At least she had managed to keep Brittany and Santana away from each other for one last night. She and Santana took a two hour road trip to get their Christmas shopping done. Santana had asked her to stay over again, but she knew she had to take Brittany in for her interview and get to The Heights to make sure everything was set up perfectly. Finally reaching out of the covers for her phone, she opened one eye as she squinted to see who wanted what.

A text from Santana: _You never told me what our plans were for tonight...what should I wear? What time? A girl needs to know these things!_

Shit. She totally forgot to tell her what was up. Way to go dip shit she thought to herself as she began to tap the screen on her phone.

_I'll pick you up at 8:30. Wear your best. We're going to The Heights._

The exhausted woman was about to set her phone back down when it vibrated again.

_The Heights? Like the classiest spot in Lima?_

_Yes. Make sure you're ready on time. I don't want to miss our reservations._

BJ knew a quick response was on it's way.

_You can count on it. Not sure what the occasion is, but I'm looking forward to it._

With that, BJ was up and moving. She needed to pick Brittany up at the store and get her over to McKinley. She was going to get a workout in while Figgins met with the alumna. Hopping in the Jeep she popped in some Gym Class Heroes and as she pulled up in the mall parking lot she found Brittany waiting at the main entrance.

Pulling up beside her and rolling down the tinted window BJ said, "You look like you could use a ride."

"Oh my gosh! You scared me! I'm not used to someone rolling around Lima in a ride like this." she said as she opened the door and climbed in.

"Meaning, you aren't used to seeing a white chick pull up in a black jeep with dark tinted windows and a beat bouncin'."

The new acquaintance next to her laughed. "That's exactly what I mean. At least it's a good beat." she said with a wink.

"The lady has taste in music! That's a plus. Now let's go get you a new job."

The drive was a fairly short one, but full of animated conversation as Brittany went thought BJ's music collection. Each of them knew they would be fast friends. As they pulled into the empty lot, a flood of memories came flowing back to Brittany. It seemed like a lifetime ago since she'd been here. Once inside, Brittany slowed her pace and took in the surroundings. There wasn't a whole lot that had changed. BJ hung back and let Brittany take her time. Turning the corner, the blonde woman stopped and ran her hand over a couple of lockers. The corners of her mouth turned up into a slight smile. BJ could only imagine what was running through the woman's mind. It was almost as if she'd been transported to a different time. They walked a bit further down the hallways before BJ had to break the silence.

"Brittany."

The blonde raised her head slowly to make eye contact with the coach.

"Hmmm?"

"I'm going to go and see if Figgins is ready to meet with you. Do you want to wait in the main office or out here?"

Brittany sighed. "I think I'll wait out here is that's ok."

BJ nodded. She thought she saw a tear fall. "Sure. I'll give you a few minutes even if he is ready." she said softly and disappeared through the door.

Ten minutes later, Brittany was in the principal's office and BJ was in the gym.

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><p>So far the day had gone very well. Brittany was offered and accepted the position at her former high school. It would be announced after the New Year when school resumed. BJ had asked Brittany out to dinner and she accepted that as well. Well, actually, BJ said that she had had reservations, but her plus one had canceled on her and she hated to lose a spot at such a highly coveted restaurant. The dancer thought it would be fun and after all, it couldn't hurt to get to know someone back here again. They decided to meet there and BJ asked her to meet her at The Heights at eight.<p>

After dropping the blonde off at home, BJ dialed up Mrs. Pierce.

"Hey Mrs. P.!"

"BJ! How'd it go?"

"It went well! I'll let Brittany fill you in on the details. However, I'm going to need a little help tonight."

"Anything! You name it."

"I just need you to make sure that Britt is at the restaurant at eight. I'm picking up Santana at eight thirty. I'm going to swing by there now and make sure everything is in place."

"I can do that. Anything else?"

"Keep your fingers crossed."

"BJ, it's going to be just fine. Sometimes lost hearts just need to be pointed in the right direction. I don't think you realize the impact you are about to have on these two lives."

"I just hope it's a positive one." BJ said barely above a whisper. "Alright, I better get going. It's going to be time before we know it. Bye Mrs. P."

"Goodbye sweetie."

Climbing the stairs in The Heights, she wondered if anyone at all was around. It was so quiet. Climbing the last step, she stopped completely. It was a sight unlike anything she'd ever seen. Since it was December and late afternoon, the sun was already on it's way down. Just as John had said, white Christmas lights hung overhead and lit the perimeter. There was a single table set in just the right spot so that they'd be able to take the 360 degree view. The table was covered in a black linen table cloth. BJ walked over and ran her fingers over it. Remembering the items she had brought in with her, she reached down and picked up two lavender roses. She set them carefully in the center of the table. They were to represent love at first sight. After all, according to everyone that knew them, they were the last two to figure it out.

Taking in the rest of the space, BJ smiled seeing the piano. She picked up her guitar case and headed over to the corner. Running a finger over the keys, she sat down and played a few notes and then reached over opening her guitar case. She strummed a few notes and began playing in a picking style. Not like country style picking, but just a single note at a time putting an emphasis on each note. She hummed a couple bars and then played an acoustic version of the song.

"Wow!"

The guitarist jumped, opening her eyes quickly.

"Coach, you said you could play, but I didn't know you could really play!" It was John.

"Um, yeah. I guess. I've messed around with it for years." She did a little tuning and then set the guitar in a stand. "John, this is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much!"

"Like, I said, so happy to help. Is everything where you want it?"

"Yeah, I think so." It wasn't exactly easy to set up a romantic setting for two people when you really only knew one of them. "Brittany will be here at eight. I'm supposed to pick Santana up at eight thirty. Will you bring Brittany up and let her know that I'm going to be a little late? This will buy me some time to get Santana here and answer her questions when she wonders why the lot is empty."

"Of course. I'll spend a little time with her and then bring her up."

"Perfect. She's going to wonder why there's only one table up here. I'll text you when Santana and I arrive. Meet us downstairs and I'll come up and explain to Brittany why I'm late. Whatever you do, _don't_ tell Santana that Brittany is up stairs."

"Got it. Relax. Everything is going to be fine."

"Everyone keeps telling me that. Listen, it's getting late. I've got to get going or I'm going to throw the whole thing off. See you tonight!"

BJ stood in the shower letting the hot water run over her. She noticed she was shaking. She wanted more than anything for this to go off without a hitch, but in the back of her mind she couldn't help but wonder if she was making a huge mistake meddling in two other people's lives. After all, she couldn't even get her own right, let alone help out two others. She sighed. It was too late to turn back now. The plan was already in motion.

Finally calming herself, she turned the water off and proceeded to get ready. What did one wear to something like this? She had told both Santana and Brittany to dress nicely. They each knew what kind of place it was. She didn't want to throw Santana off by wearing something too casual. She settled on some black dress pants, a fitted Express button down and a jacket with some black boots. She straightened her hair, parted it on the left side and pulled it back tight and neat. Glancing at her watch she realized that it was time to go. After a quick look in the mirror to check herself, she was out the door.

Brittany didn't have a clue what to wear. She couldn't even believe that she agreed to go to dinner with someone she had just met. It wasn't often that she let her guard down like this, but her mother seemed to adore BJ. There couldn't be any harm in dinner she thought. So, Brittany arrived promptly at eight o'clock. She didn't want to be late after all. Her mom dropped her off as BJ said she'd take her home afterward. Getting a ride from her mom made her feel like she was a teenager all over again. Stepping out of her mom's Kia, she smoothed out her blue dress. It hit her just above the knees and the color really made her eyes pop. The black heels that she had settled on made her legs look like they went on for days.

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><p>"Good evening Brittany." John held the door for her to go inside.<p>

The leggy blonde turned and bent down to give him a hug. "So good to see you John." She looked around curiously. "Kind of quiet in here tonight isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, we had an event a little earlier. They cleared out faster than they had originally planned. You're meeting Coach Eckles right?" He said quickly.

"Uh, yeah. Actually, I don't know her last name. I just know her name is BJ. I wonder what that stands for..." She thought about that for a second.

"Yes, BJ. She's a great girl. Anyway, she called, she's stuck in traffic waiting on a train on the other side of the tracks. She said to tell you to go ahead and order a drink and she'll be here as quickly as she can."

Brittany smiled. "OK. That was nice of her to call. It's nice to know that the tracks still slow things down in this town."

"Some things never change."

The two chatted for a few minutes until John's cell went off. He excused himself as he check the screen. BJ would have Santana here in less than five minutes. It was time to get Brittany upstairs.

Britt, I've got a couple things to take care of, but let me show you to your table. He led her up the stairs. At the top, he stepped to the side and held his arm out. "Right this way."

Brittany held her breath as she took in the view. _This BJ must have had one special date planned with her plus one. It's too bad they had to cancel. It was so nice of her to invite me instead of letting all of this go to waste she thought._

John pulled her chair out for her. "I'll be back to check on you shortly."

Heading back downstairs he felt the excitement overtake him. As he stepped down off the bottom step, BJ was holding the door open for Santana.

"I still don't understand why the parking lot is empty." Santana said.

"Oh hey John."

"Hey Coach. Welcome."

"Are you ready for us?"

"What is all of this?" Santana asked.

BJ smiled shyly. Quietly she said, "You'll see soon enough. Could you give me a couple minutes to take care of something?"

Santana eyed the brunette curiously and cautiously. She had no idea what was about to happen.

"I promise it won't take long. John, would you please get Santana a drink?"

John nodded and led Santana over to the bar. Once she sat down, BJ, turned and headed for the stairs. Taking a deep breath she whispered to herself, "This is it. No turning back." With that, she made her way to the second floor.

Her eyes met Brittany's and they both instantly smiled. "Brittany, I'm so glad you could make it and I'm so sorry I'm late."

"This place...is beautiful. Whoever you were supposed to come here with is definitely missing out."

BJ dropped her eyes and her nerves started to take over. "I, uh, I-I-I..." she paused to collect her thoughts. Here goes nothing. "Brittany. I know I only met you a day ago, but I feel like l know so much about you already. Your mom has told me so much about you and the people of Lima..."

Brittany had no idea where this was going. She watched BJ silently.

"Shortly after school started, I had the chance to meet someone who has become one of the best friends I've ever had. She's helped me through so much and doesn't even know it."

Brittany continued to listen.

"Things have changed so much for me over the last few months and I guess you could say that my outlook on love has changed because of her."

Brittany thought that maybe she was talking about the person she was supposed to be here with tonight.

"I wanted to get her something special for Christmas. After much thought, I realized the only thing that she really wanted, was you."

Brittany was so confused now.

"Brittany, I have Santana downstairs."

The blondes eye shot open. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Brittany?"

"Santana? Santana Lopez? My Santana?"

"The one and only."

Brittany couldn't believe this was happening. The one person that had all but consumed her mind. The one person that she wanted to see more than anything. She was here. In the same building. Right now.

"So, this wasn't for me. It's for the two of you and right now, I just need to make sure that you're ok with this and then I'm going to bring her up here. "

BJ waited for a response from the woman sitting across from her. Brittany dabbed at a tear trying to escape her eye. She didn't want to be a blubbering mess when she saw her for the first time. The thought never crossed her mind that this wouldn't go well.

"I'm ready."

BJ smiled and stood, stepping over to give her a hug. I'm going to need a minute or two to explain to her, but I'll have her up here as soon as possible.

Brittany smiled and nodded.

BJ all but sprinted down the stairs, catching herself near the last one. John handed her a white rose as she walked over to Santana. 'Thanks John."

The brunette slowly approached the Latina. She caught Santana's eye just a few steps away. BJ pulled out the white rose and handed it to her. Santana smiled. "What this for?"

"You. It symbolizes new beginnings."

"Thank you. It's beautiful." the smile remained on her face. "BJ, what is all of this for?"

Inhaling deeply and taking in the beautiful Santana Lopez, BJ began. "A few months ago I knew a handful of people in this town. I kept to myself and was really only sure about a couple of things in my life. Things had changed so drastically for me so quickly. Then, one day at practice, I met you. You liked me for me. You never questioned too hard or dug too deep. You never pushed, you just let me be me. You've shared things with me, made me think, made me want to be a better person. In a few short months, you've become the best friend I've ever had."

Santana had tears in her eyes now.

"A while back, I was trying to figure out what to get you for Christmas. I had no idea. It just seemed like nothing was going to be quite good enough. Then, I met someone and I had an idea. Things started to come together."

"Wait- you met someone and things started to come together? Who'd you meet?"

"Let me finish Santana before I can't get this out."

Santana looked concern. "Ok." she said softly.

"This kind of came out of left field, but when I was trying to figure out what to get you, I wanted it to be something that would make you happy. However, I didn't want it to be materialistic. Then, by chance, I met Mrs. Pierce."

BJ took Santana by the hand and began to lead her to the stairs. "I knew there was only one thing that could make you truly happy." she continued. "So, I went for it. I got you the one thing that you said would make your life complete." BJ stepped to the side and helped Santana up the last step.

Seated alone at the only table, was Brittany. The sight took the smaller woman's breath away. She felt her pulse begin to race and all of the sudden her knees got weak. Once she made eye contact with the blonde it was over.

BJ, took Santana's arm and hooked it with her own as she walked her over to where Brittany waited. In the few steps that it took to get there, she noticed that both woman had tears in their eyes. BJ unhooked their arms and stepped back and the dancer and the Latina took in the sight of each other. The sudden third wheel turned and walked at a good pace back to the stair well. Before descending the stairs, she took another look at the long lost couple and whispered, "Merry Christmas Santana."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you for the new alerts/favorites! They mean a lot.

Time moving a bit slow in this one. Trying to capture the thoughts in my head. Hope you like.

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><p>The two women were frozen. Neither of them moved for what seemed like an eternity. They searched each other's eyes trying to read all of the emotions behind them. For Santana, there was immediate nervousness, sadness and excitement all wrapped into one. She was cautious though. It would probably just be a matter of a couple days before Brittany was running to the next big city for the next big concert. Being face to face with Brittany made Santana realize how much she truly missed her- how big of a hole her absence had left in her life. For Brittany, she felt, happiness, excitement, and sadness fighting each other within. The woman that had consumed her thoughts was now standing in front of her, just an arms length away.<p>

If one took the time to look, they might have been able to see the way each of their hearts were practically beating out of their chests. The simple sight of one another was enough to take their breath away. All those old feelings that the both of them had try to hide away were suddenly bubbling to the surface and just waiting to explode all over the place. It had been a very long time, but make no mistake, a love like their's just didn't go away.

"Santana."

"Britt-any." Santana choked in her name. She had to figure out what was going on. If this was just a hit and run visit, Santana didn't want to immerse herself too deep, although the mere sight of Brittany standing in front of her did things to her.

"I've missed you San." the blonde suddenly feeling like a nervous teenager.

Santana didn't say anything right away. She continued to breathe in the sight in front of her. The silence wasn't awkward. It seemed to be understood, but Santana needed a moment to gather her thoughts. This had all happened so unexpectedly. The Latina had to remove her gaze from the stunning woman across from her. She walked across the rooftop and felt her breath hitch as she took in the rest of her surroundings. Santana grew up here in Lima and had been in this restaurant numerous times, but never up here. It was absolutely beautiful. The city lights dancing in the distance, she soaked it all in. The flames from the fire pits provided enough warmth as the snowflakes danced to the ground all around on the balcony. Feeling a pair of eyes burning a hole through her, she turned to find Brittany watching. They locked eyes for just a moment before Santana eyes flitted around the room again. Back under the roof, she noticed a piano and a guitar sitting in a stand. Scanning the setting quickly, she realized that BJ was no where to be found. She felt something strange inside of her, but didn't really know how to describe it. It was almost a combination of panic, guilt, sadness and happiness as she desperately wanted to talk to BJ about this. She wrestled with her thoughts and feelings for another minute before she heard Brittany's voice.

"San, please come sit down."

Slowly, the petite brunette made her way back under the covered portion of the rooftop. She glanced around one more time in the hopes of catching a glimpse of BJ, but she had no such luck.

"Hi." Brittany said.

"Hello." came the one word response.

They'd already been through this, but it felt like it had to be done again.

"Are you ok Santana?" Worry was definitely starting to fill Brittany. Maybe Santana didn't want to see her. Maybe she wanted to leave. Maybe Santana no longer felt the things that she did.

Santana looked back up at Brittany just in time to see the worry flash across the blonde's face. She hated seeing that look tonight just as much as she hated seeing it years ago. She wanted to erase it quickly. "I'm ok Brittany. It's just that..." she hesitated while she searched for the correct words. "It's just that, I was completely caught off guard. It's like we were just reintroduced into each other's lives so unexpectedly and I can't quite grasp what that means or what's going on inside my head." Or her heart for that matter.

Brittany nodded silently.

Santana continued, "And where is BJ? Where you in on this?"

Brittany shook her head this time. "I, I don't know," she said as she looked around. " and no, I wasn't in on this."

Both women sat there glancing each at each other, neither of them wanting to hold eye contact for too long. However, all the old feelings came flooding back tenfold and it was useless to try to fight it. Finally holding Brittany's gaze, Santana asked the burning question, " So where is the next tour stop?" _Ok, so it wasn't the exact question she wanted to ask, but she didn't want to be to direct._

"There isn't one." the dancer stated.

Santana continued to look into Brittany's eyes.

"In between tours?"

"No."

"I see. So you'll be here for a few days before you head home?"

Brittany tried to keep a smile from forming, but she knew this was Santana's round about way of getting the information she wanted.

"I am home Santana."

Santana thought that Brittany must be confused. "No, I mean home-home."

Brittany understood perfectly well. "Well, this is my home-home."

Santana cocked her head to the side and looked at the familiar blonde across from her.

"I'm staying." Brittany said matter of factly.

With that, Santana's heart sped up and it caught her off guard.

"You're staying?" Santana didn't think that she had heard her correctly.

"I'm staying."

Once again the two sat in silence staring at each other all over again. There was so much that each of them wanted to say to each other. Brittany started.

"I decided to move back home after the last tour ended. I really wasn't sure what I was going to do next, but my mom had met BJ at the store and I guess they talked about Will going on sabbatical. Anyway, BJ set up an interview with Figgins for me. I actually met her for the first time last night and then she took me to interview today."

Santana's thoughts took over again. She had talked to BJ here and there about Brittany. She knew the history they had. As much as the Latina didn't want to admit it, she knew that BJ knew she still harbored feelings for Brittany. She smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" Brittany asked.

Santana chuckled softly and shook her head. "BJ."

Brittany was confused now.

Santana shook her head, "Not like that. We're friends."

Brittany smiled as Santana was quick to clear up that confusion. She hadn't changed.

"So...did you get the position?" Santana asked.

Brittany nodded excitedly. "Yep." She grinned from ear to ear. "It's so weird. I never thought I'd be walking the halls of McKinley again. So many memories."

"I experience it everyday."

Brittany raised an eyebrow at the brunette across from her. She didn't know.

"I work there too Britt..."

The use of her shortened name sounded like a sweet melody coming from the Latina.

"I took over Sue's position when she retired earlier this year."

"So, we're going to be co-workers?"

"Looks like it." Both women grinned as their eyes sparkled back at one another.

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><p>BJ sat downstairs alone at the bar for the better part of an hour. Everything must have been going alright. If not, then surely there would have been some loud voices and one of them would have left by now. Slowly sipping on a Disaronno, she glanced out the window on her right. It was still snowing.<p>

"Hey...you ok?" It was John again.

Taking another slow sip she answered, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You just look a little...alone...down here."

She smiled. "That I am my friend. All is good."

He took a deep breath of relief, thankful that he didn't upset the coach with his boldness. "So, your guitar is up there and the piano is in tune...are you going to head back up there for a little live entertainment?"

"No." she said looking into her empty glass.

"No?"

"No. No need for a third wheel. They've been apart long enough. I'm going to leave this night to them. Whatever happens after this is on them."

John looked at her adoringly. "There aren't many out there like you ya know."

"That's probably a good thing." she replied. "John, listen, I uh, I'm going to get out of here. I've got some other clothes outside, do you mind if I change here?"

"No, of course not, you can use the employee lounge."

"Thanks John." She ran out to grab her other clothes and remembered to grab her ipod as well. Back inside, she changed quickly and then headed back to the bar to find John.

"Ok, I'm all set. Um, neither of the girls have a car here. So, when they're ready to leave, will you just give my keys to Santana?" She didn't wait for a response before handing him the keys to her Jeep.

"How are you going to get home? I can give you a ride."

"I'm going to walk.

"You can't wa-"

"I'm walking." Arguing was pointless. "Please, just give my keys to Santana. Let her know I'll get it from her tomorrow."

"Will do. Be safe."

BJ pulled up the collar on her coat and headed out into the night. Maybe she was crazy. It was late December, it was night, and it was snowing. It would take her at least an hour to walk home. For some reason though none of that stuff was really phasing her right now. A couple blocks down away from the restaurant, she turned to look back, She could see the glow of the flames from the fire pits and the small white lights. Smiling, she turned back around and continued her trek. The sound of fresh snow squeaking underfoot with each step was the only noise. It was only a little after nine, but the snow must have been enough to keep people indoors tonight. BJ made her way to a bench a few steps ahead and sat down. It was so peaceful. She took in the exceptional quietness surrounding her. Eyeing a snow flake here and there she listened as closely as she could for one to land on the cushion of snow that had already fallen. As hard as she tried to hear one hit, there was nothing.

* * *

><p>More than a few hours had passed. Santana and Brittany had plenty to talk about, but it was getting late and as much as both of them wanted to continue their conversation, they knew that their would be plenty of time to finish catching up. John's ears perked up as he heard to sets of footsteps coming down.<p>

"Ladies."

"Hey John." They said in unison. "So, where's BJ?"

"She left a few hours ago."

Disappointment flashed across both of their faces.

"But, she did ask me to give you these Santana." He said reaching behind the bar and handing her the keys to the jeep. "Said you could take it home."

Santana just smiled and took the keys thanking John for his hospitality and such a wonderful evening.

"I'm really not the one you should be thanking. Have a good evening ladies."

Santana helped Brittany into her coat and vice versa. They made their way out into the snow covered lot. Santana opening Brittany's door for her as she placed her hand on the small of her back and the blonde stepped up into the jeep. They hadn't missed a beat. The smaller woman walked carefully around to the driver's side to get in. The ride to Brittany's was quiet. Neither said a word, but both sat with warm smiles.

Pulling up to the curb at the Pierce's made Santana feel like a high schooler again. She turned the engine off and slowly glanced to her left. Brittany was looking right back at her. "I'll walk you up." said Santana.

Brittany nodded. The Latina slid out of the seat carefully and walked around to open the passenger door. Holding out her hand, the blonde grasped it with a tight grip as she stepped out. Santana let go once she was sure that she had her footing. They walked slowly up the walkway. The three steps up to the front porch were taken with painfully slow steps. They turned to face each other. In Santana's eyes, Brittany saw fear. She knew that her old flame was worried she was going to leave again. They hadn't had that conversation. They didn't need to. Santana could never hide her feelings from her. They were the windows to her soul and the blonde was the only one that could ever see into them, but even she knew, it would take some time. Santana would remain guarded. She would break those walls down.

"It's good to be home." Brittany said. She wanted to say so much more, but tonight, she would just leave it at that.

Santana nodded. "It's good to see you again Britt. I'd love to catch up some more soon."

She didn't want to let her guard down. She really was afraid that Brittany was just biding her time until another opportunity came up.

"I'll call you tomorrow if that's ok..."

"Yeah, sure. If you have time. Otherwise don't worry about it." She tried to play it off nonchalantly, but failed miserably. Brittany giggled.

"Can I at least have a hug?" The blonde asked quietly.

Santana nodded as she stepped forward wrapping her arms around the other woman's waist. Brittany wrapped her arms around the Latina's neck, careful not to squeeze too hard. The blonde took in the familiar scent of the Latina. _Oh my gosh_. _I can't believe she still wears it!_ Brittany was beaming. Santana still wore Light Blue. Brittany had first bought it for her for Valentine's Day one year. For Brittany, it was a sign. Interestingly enough, the same thought was going through Santana's head, except Brittany still wore Inspiration. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. Like they were back in high school standing on Brittany's front porch. Then, just like those high school days, the front porch light came on. They pulled away from each other with shy smiles and laughed. It was just like Mrs. Pierce to be waiting up for her daughter.

"I'll talk to you soon San."

"Goodnight Britt." Santana turned and slowly walked down the walkway to the Jeep. Brittany opened the door, but didn't step inside until Santana was back inside the Jeep.

Santana sat down and put her head back on the head rest and closed her eyes. She shook her head and smiled. "I can't believe this." She said aloud. She turned the key in the ignition and was about to put it in drive, but quickly remembered that this wasn't her vehicle. She headed to BJ's.

"Stupid trains." Santana was stuck at the railroad crossing waiting to the world's slowest train to pass. She really wasn't upset but she was feeling a flood of emotion. It wasn't until then that she realized that she had been sitting in silence. The thoughts continued to race through her mind. The mere sight of Brittany did so many things to her. She wanted to turn on the radio, but she didn't want anything to get in the way of what was running through her mind. Brittany was home. Nothing else was important.

She slowly pulled into BJ's driveway and hit the garage door opener. She parked carefully and went in the dark house. She didn't want to wake her up, but it was strangely quiet. Quietly, Santana headed up the stairs. BJ's door was open, so she peaked in, but no one was there. Santana called out for her, but no one answered. "That's strange." Santana said. She checked the basement next, but it also turned up empty. Suddenly she remembered her phone in her purse. She saw that she had one text messages. It was from Brittany.

_Thanks again for a great evening. I've missed you. It's so good to be home._

Santana smiled and then typed a quick reply : _Great to see you. I've missed you too. Sleep tight._

Santana had no idea where BJ was. She desperately wanted to talk to her, but she knew when the hoops coach didn't want to be found, you weren't going to find her. She knew she wouldn't pick up if she called, so she just sent a text:_ Sooo many things to say to you but right now, I'll just say thank you. Be safe. See you tomorrow._

Santana was sure to leave the kitchen light on so BJ wouldn't return to a dark house. She then ran back out to the garage and hopped in the Jeep. The drive to her place was quick. She went through her nightly routine in record time and as her head hit the pillow, she realized that it was going to take some time to wrap her head around all of this.


	14. Chapter 14

Brittany closed the front door behind her and leaned back on it for a minute. She was giddy. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this way. Her mother couldn't remember the last time she looked this way.

"Good night?" Mrs. Pierce asked with a sly smile.

Brittany was a bit startled, but the slight smile turned into a huge grin. "So good Mom!"

Mrs. Pierce smiled knowingly and then turned to head up the stairs to turn in for the night. "It's good to have you home dear."

Her daughter smiled up at her from floor level. "It's good to be home." She said barely above a whisper as thoughts from earlier raced through her mind.

* * *

><p>The next morning, BJ woke up way too early and couldn't fall back asleep, so she decided she'd go on a run over to Santana's and pick up her Jeep. It was six thirty and she figured that there was no way Santana would awake yet. While she was curious about how last night went, part of her was hoping to scoot in and out without her friend knowing she was even there. So, she hopped out of bed, threw a couple layers of clothes on and one of her eighty pairs of shoes. Grabbing her iPod off the counter, she scrolled to a particular playlist and was out the door.<p>

It only took about 25 minutes to reach Santana's. BJ kept up a pretty good pace and it was early on a Saturday morning, so she didn't have to wait for any traffic at any intersections. She stood on the walkway in front of the Lopez house. It sure was a quiet morning. She went to the garage and punched the code in to open the door. The keys weren't in it, so she knew that her friend took them inside. Hopefully they were just on the counter. She opened the door to the kitchen from the garage quietly.

"I've been waiting for you." Came a voice from around the corner.

BJ jumped a mile and Santana laughed loudly. "Jesus F-ing Chr-" she stopped in mid-statement. "You scared the crap out of me."

Santana snickered, "Sorry, I just had a feeling you'd try to slip through here without talking to me."

BJ didn't say anything right away. She stared at the floor in front of her. She must have spaced out for a while because the next thing she heard as Santana saying, "Hey- where are you?"

She shook her head to help clear her thoughts. "Oh, sorry. Just remembered something that I need to take care of today that's all."

"Oh."

"So..."

"Yeah, so, did you get my text last night?" Santana asked.

BJ shook her head no. "Honestly, I turned my phone off and I haven't look at it since I left The Heights."

"Figures."

"So, everything ok?"

Now it was the Latina's turn to say nothing.

"Lopez, I'm sorry if I caused trouble. I just know how much you missed her and when I found out that she was moving back home...well, I, I ..." her voice trailed off.

The two women sat in the kitchen in silence and listened to the clock tick away the seconds.

"I'm sorry Santana. I had no right to interfere. It's probably best if I just go." She got up and went to reach for her keys as Santana reached out and grabbed her wrist. BJ stopped.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The Latina had a fiery tone in her voice. "Sit down."

BJ sat.

"My text last night...it said _thank you. _You would have known that if you'd checked your messages." Then, because she couldn't help it, she let the corners of her mouth curl up into a smile.

BJ cocked her head to the side, "So, I take it things went well then?" She asked slyly.

Santana nodded, and her friend knew that she wanted to share the story of the previous evening. So, BJ got up, headed to the coffee pot and poured to mugs.

"Spill it chica."

Santana took a deep breath and began: " So, I have to admit I was pretty stoked to go The Heights with you. You threw me for a loop when you went upstairs without me, but when I stepped up that last step and saw Brittany sitting there, I just felt a rush of emotion. I mean, things would have surely changed over time right?"

It was a rhetorical question.

"So, what did you guys talk about?" BJ really was curious.

"Everything, except the big white elephant."

"You mean why you haven't spoken in so long?"

The younger woman nodded. "Yeah, it was weird. I mean, we talked about a lot of things, but not that."

"Too soon." BJ stated.

Santana agreed. "Yeah. It was so good to see her. I can't wait to see her again. We've got a lot of catching up to do, but, I'm going to keep my guard up. You never know when the next manager is going to call with the next gig and Brittany will be on her way again." She rolled her eyes.

"Santana, I don't think Brittany's going anywhere."

"Well, at least not for a few months. I heard _you_ set her up with an interview to take Will's position with the Glee club." She gave BJ a light punch in the arm.

"I met her mom. Only, I didn't realize it was her mom until I saw a picture of her at the store. I kind of put it all together and found out she finished up a tour a couple months ago. Her mom told me she was moving home. Susan said that she didn't have a job lined up and I may have happened to mention that Will was taking off for a while." She shrugged. "Then, I may have mentioned that I knew you and we talked about you guys. She told me things about the two of you...how you were both missing a piece. I knew you weren't whole. Today, though you seem brighter..."

The tan skin of the Latina was supposed to hide her blushing, but BJ knew her too well. "I definitely feel different this morning. "

"So what else did you two talk about?"

"Well, really just about how she's been working so hard and doing a lot of traveling. How after the last tour she just felt like it was time to come home. She's going to live at home until she finds a place of her own and she's really excited to be working with the Glee club."

"That's awesome. I'm happy for you."

"Happy for me? BJ, nothing happened. I just don't want to get to wrapped up in her and have her jet off again. I can't handle it."

"Santana. You know she never dated anyone else the entire time you were apart."

"We didn't talk about any of that. How do you know?"

"Don't worry about it."

"But-" she started, but BJ cut her off.

"Sounds familiar doesn't it? I know someone else that didn't date anyone else that entire time."

"I could have."

"But you didn't." BJ smirked. "Look San, she's home. Get to know her again. Enjoy her company. Just let it play out and see what happens. No expectations."

Santana nodded. "Yeah. You're right."

Santana moved towards BJ to give her a hug, but the taller woman stepped back. "You know I'm all sweaty and nasty right? Sweat and snow? Gross."

The Latina scrunched up her nose, but then attacked BJ with a bone crushing hug anyway.

"Ok, ok, ok! I've got to go. Shit to do today!"

"Like what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? BJ tried to act like she didn't want her friend to know, but gave up. "Anyway, I've got to go to school. We've got practice again on Monday and I'm gonna need to whip them back into shape after a few days off. I've got some planning to do. Besides, I'm positive that a certain pretty blonde will be wanting to get a hold of you today."

Santana smiled and because she smiled, so did BJ.

"Call me later then."

BJ just nodded as she picked up her keys to leave and gave a little wave.

Santana moved to the window to watch BJ leave. "Thank you." she whispered.

* * *

><p>At the pierce residence, Brittany bounded down the stairs into the kitchen. The smell of eggs and bacon had drifted up to her room. She had missed her mom's cooking. "Good morning sweetie! How did you sleep?"<p>

" G'morning Mom." She beamed. "I slept great!" Her mother set a plate in front of her and poured her a glass of orange juice.

"So, how was your night?" Mrs. Pierce asked knowingly.

"Mom, I know you know." Brittany chuckled softly. "Plus, you waited up for me."

"It was a total accident! I had fallen asleep in the chair and was about to head up to bed when I thought I'd turn the light on for you. How was I to know you and Santana were standing out there?" She asked innocently.

"Nice try mom. I saw you pull the curtain back when we pulled up." she laughed.

Mrs. Pierce shrugged guiltily. "You're still my daughter. I can still wait up for you." Brittany smiled as she moved a fork full of food towards her mouth. "So, are you going to tell me how your night was or not?"

The daughter chewed and swallowed and then took a swig of orange juice from the glass in front of her, all the while still beaming. "Mom, it was incredible." Mrs. Pierce tried to hide her excitement. "The rooftop was absolutely gorgeous. The snow coming down around, the flames, the lights, the food..."

"And?" her mom raised an eye brow.

"And Santana was just stunning." She blushed.

"She always was a pretty girl."

"Mom, not just pretty. She was stunning. With a capital s!"

"So you just stared at her all night?" her mom laughed.

"Well, I definitely could have, but no, I didn't. She was pretty quiet at first. Shocked I think."

"What about you?"

"I was the one that did the talking to begin with."

"Why am I not surprised?" the mother laughed light heartedly. "You've never been at a loss for words."

The daughter shook it off with her own laugh.

"Mom?"

"Yes honey?"

"I never told you why I was giving up touring."

"No, no you didn't. You're an adult though Brittany. You don't need to run your decisions by me or your father."

"I know..." she paused for a minute. "I just felt like I was missing something."

"Is that so?"

Brittany nodded. "Yeah, but I think I found it." She rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher. She was headed upstairs to shower when she heard her mom say something.

"You never lost it dear."

* * *

><p>BJ unlocked her office door, and dropped her bag on the couch along the wall. She did have quite a bit that she wanted to get done. She had decided not to make the trip home for Christmas, so she figured she would spend the majority of her time at the gym. She could watch game film, get the next practices planned, and get the scouts done on their upcoming opponents. That was plenty to keep her busy until she could get the team back in the gym for practice. Her folks were upset that she wasn't making the trip, but they understood since she had to get back for 4 practices between Christmas and New Year's. BJ was a little sad not to be going as well, but in the long run, figured it might be for the best. She was doing alright here and heading home now might stir up some old thoughts and feelings and she didn't want to deal with that. For that reason, going home was never really all that easy. She loved her family, but had finally made up her mind that she had to take care of herself now and move on. She'd try to get home over spring break.<p>

The hoops coach grabbed a pair of basketball shoes that were sitting next to her desk. Slipping off her running shoes, she got rid of her pants revealing a pair of knee length navy blue and white basketball shorts. She looked at her shorts and the mid-tops sitting on the floor. She picked up that pair and went back over and grabbed a different pair. This pair matched her shorts. It was a pet-peeve of her's. She always had to match. Even if no one would see her. Once she was satisfied with how her shoes were tied, she flicked on just one set of gym lights, turned on the sound system and went to work.

As the ball bounced, every motion was fluid. So smooth. She loved the sound of the ball bouncing on the wood floor, the smell of the gym, the squeak of her shoes, the way the leather ball felt in her hands. She loved the sound of the ball ripping through the net with every made shot, but what she loved the most, was how this simple game had the ability to take her to another place and bring her nothing but serenity.

A couple hours had past and she decided it was time to get some actual work done. After a quick shower, she did a quick walk-through the halls of the high school to see if anyone else was around. There was something about being completely alone here that put her at ease. It's when she was most productive. Satisfied that there wasn't a sole in the building, she returned to her office.

* * *

><p>Santana had been wrestling with her own thoughts all day. She was so happy, but was worrying just as much. She really just needed to do what BJ had said. Just go with the flow. No expectations. Her phone buzzed across the coffee table. She picked it up to see Brittany's name flashing.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hey Britt. How are ya?"

"I'm good. Really good."

Santana could tell she was smiling through the phone. "Whatcha up to today?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could go over to the school with me. I want to get familiar with a few things before classes start back up. "

"Well, I have a couple of things that I need to do today. What time were you thinking?" She didn't want to seem to eager.

"About noon? Maybe we could do a later lunch?"

"Ummm, yeah, I think I can swing that. Should I meet you there or pick you up?"

"Could you pick me up? I only had a rental and my folks have both of their vehicles."

"Sure, it's no problem. I'll see you in a couple hours."

As they hung up, both women held smiles. _My face kind of hurts._ Santana thought. This was going to take some getting used to.

* * *

><p>Back at McKinley, BJ had finished up what she wanted to get done for the day. She did another walk through the halls and then stopped back in her office to grab her bag. On the way out, she turned off the gym lights and waited for the glow of the bulbs to fade out. On her way to the exit the coach had to walk by the auditorium. There was a light on in there. Someone must have forgotten to turn it off. She wasn't entirely sure where the light switches were in here. As she neared the stage, she noticed the shiny black piano sitting off to the edge. Hopping up onto the stage, she walked over and took a look at it. Running her fingers over a few keys, she looked around cautiously to make sure there really wasn't anyone there. Pulling out the bench, she sat down and stared at the white ivory keys in front of her. She pressed a few more keys. Her confidence growing, she played a quiet melody. She felt the urge and so she began, her fingers floating over the keys. She played the intro slowly and then once more.<p>

Santana held the door open for Brittany as the two made their way into the halls full of memories. They walked slowly and quietly each one of them privately remembering the different things they had been through together in these halls. Passing by their old lockers, both reached out to run a hand over them. They made eye contact for a few seconds before Santana broke it and took a couple more steps to get the blonde to follow her. _It's not that easy. We're not in high school anymore._ Santana thought. They turned the corner near the auditorium. Someone else was in the school today. There was a beautiful sound coming out of the doors. It started and stopped and then started again. They heard a voice singing this time.

_I've been hanging in doorways_

_Should i just keep the love inside or - or throw it away_

_My eyes close in the daylight_

_So i can see the empty spaces she's leaving behind_

Santana thought that she recognized the voice, but couldn't place it right away. The continued to walk towards the auditorium doors.

_Cause she, makes me feel like i'm alive_

_Til she goes, she goes, she goes_

_and i don't know if my heart can survive_

_does she know, she know, she know_

_i'm just trying to get better_

_i'm steady, steady, steady pacing back and forth_

_it's like im not awake until she walks through the door_

_and maybe maybe, i'm going crazy, i can't believe I'm here again_

Both women approached the doors slowly.

_steady, steady, steady, way she looks in my eyes_

_i'm ready for whatever when she's right by my side_

_and maybe, maybe, this love is crazy_

_i wish that she was here again_

Their eyes scanned the stage and Santana's jaw dropped. She quickly closed it and put her finger up to her lips to signal to Brittany to stay quiet. They moved to stay in the shadows so that BJ wouldn't see them. Neither of them wanted her to stop.

_I sit, looking down hallways_

_wishing that she would turn a corner, i'm stuck in a maze_

_I'm broken but she can fix me_

_but it's only temporary baby because she ¡s repairing me_

_She makes me feel like i'm alive till she goes, she goes, she goes_

_And i don't know, if my heart can survive, does she know, she know, she know_

_i'm just trying to get better_

_i'm steady steady steady pacing back and forth_

_it's like im not awake until she walks through the door_

_and maybe, maybe, i'm going crazy, i can't believe i'm here again_

_steady, steady, steady, way she looks in my eyes_

_i'm ready for whatever when she's right by my side_

_and maybe maybe, this love is crazy_

_i wish that she was here again_

_ooooooh ooooooh oooooooooh_

_ooooooh ooooooh oooooooooh_

_And she makes me feel like im alive_

_then she goes, then she goes_

_oh yeah, and i don't know if my heart can survive,_

_does she know, does she know, does she know yeah_

_oh where she goes, i'm in love_

_does she know, she know, does she know._

As the last note rang itself out, Santana grabbed Brittany by the hand and the two spies slipped back out the door and down the hall. They ducked into the Cheerios locker room.

"Holy shit." Santana said. "That was BJ."

"I know who that was. I didn't know she could sing. Why isn't she taking over the Glee Club?"

Brittany didn't know how much time BJ and Santana had spent together over the last few months, so she couldn't really figure out why her old flame was so surprised.

"She loves basketball. It takes up a lot of time."

Brittany nodded. That made sense so she let it go.

The words of the song still rang through Santana's ears.

"San?" Why are we hiding out?"

Santana had to laugh at that. They were hiding out. Rather, she was hiding out. She just wanted to know what made BJ tick, but that was definitely an intimate moment and it wouldn't be right to step in on that.

"BJ's kind of a private person. Plus, remember how I always hated it when people popped in on me when I was working on something?"

"Oh yeah totally." Brittany nodded and dropped it.

They heard an exit door close and took that as their cue that BJ had left. They made their way towards their old classroom. "This is going to be so much fun. I can't wait to get started!" Brittany exclaimed.


	15. Chapter 15 Part 1

First off, I just want to say thank you for the follows/favs/alerts/etc. I know it's been months since I updated last and all I can say is that life changed drastically and suddenly. I've found some normalcy and decided to give this a go again. So, if you are still with me- thank you and here's the next chapter.

The song from the last chapter was 'Til She Goes by Mateo

I own nothing.

* * *

><p>Christmas Eve<p>

Santana didn't know what proper protocol was in terms of gift buying when you hadn't seen or spoke to a person in a few years. Sitting at the breakfast bar waiting for her coffee to brew, she contemplated what she could even get Brittany this late. _What kind of gift would be appropriate? How much should she spend? Is it too soon? _Her phone vibrated across the counter before she her the questions could overflow her mind.

" Hi Mami. " she answered.

"Good morning! Just calling to remind you about dinner this evening." the elder Lopez stated.

"Ma, we've done the same thing on Christmas Eve since before I can remember. I'll be there."

"That's why it's called tradition dear. Anyway, I wanted you to be sure to invite BJ and Brittany if you wish."

"Wait- how did you know-," the daughter stuttered. "You were in on this too?!"

"Possibly." The younger Latina could hear the smirk in her mother's statement. "I hear things went well."

"It was good to see her yes, but-,"

Mama Lopez interupted, "No but's mija. Your mothers are all knowing. Now, call Brittany and invite her. She's part of the Lopez Family Christmas tradition as well and we've missed her. I'll see you tonight at 6:30."

Santana sighed. Her mother had spoken. "Yes ma'am."

As Santana ended the call, she couldn't help but wonder if it was too soon to invite Brittany to a family gathering. She had been a part of so many of them and she was practically family all those years. She could be again as the brunette recalled how easy things had been yesterday when she took the blonde into the school. Santana then wondered if it was wrong of her to have those thoughts..._she's always been like family._

Shaking her head, she fired off a quick text to both BJ and Brittany regarding the evening's plans.

_You are invited to dinner, Christmas carols, cheesey Christmas movies, and gift opening at Ma & Pa Lopez's. Come join the tradition! (PLEASE!)_

Sitting the phone on the counter and finally grabbing that cup of coffee, her mind went back to wondering if she should get Brittany a gift. She felt like she had too now- at least a little something because her text did state gift opening. Her phone vibrated across the counter again.

_San, I would love to come! I've missed your family traditions! 6:30 as always?_

Santana shook her head. Brittany always remembered odd details.

_That's great Britt! 6:30 it is. I'll pick you up._

Her phone buzzed again as she hit send. _BTW- you're invited to the Pierce Christmas brunch/dinner tomorrow too ;) Talk about it tonight. C U Soon!_

Spending these couple of days with their families- together- that was their tradition. One they started when they were thirteen. Santana smiled as she realized how normal things seemed.

Later that afternoon...

Santana had found herself at the mall wandering through store after store trying to figure out what to get Brittany. She lost track of exactly how many places she entered and left empty handed. Nothing seemed quite right. Was it a Christmas gift? Was it a welcome back gift? Maybe it was both. She really had no idea. Letting out an audible huff of frustration, she reached in her pocket searching for her phone. Flicking the screen she smiled at the sight of two new text messages.

_Can't wait to see you and the fam tonight! xo Britt-Britt_

_Can't wait to hear your dad's "It's a Wonderful Life" impressions either! xo Britt-Britt_

Santana typed out a quick reply, happiness spreading throughout her body. She laughed quietly, hearing her dad's voice in her head yelling "_Merry Christmas" _just like George Bailey. As she hit send, she realized that she had heard nothing from BJ all day. Two texts had been sent- one with an invite for tonight and another hoping that she'd be able to help Santana with her shopping for Brittany today. She found that very unlike her friend, but shrugging it off to be the holiday craziness, she continued her quest for Brittany's gift.

Two hours later, one exhausted Latina wound up where she started. No gift for Brittany. Taking a seat on an empty bench, she sighed inwardly. Looking around, the young woman took in the sights around her. It was clearly Christmas Eve. Chuckling to herself, as she noticed the husbands and boyfriends all but sprinting in and out of jewelry stores. They had deliberately put off their gift buying no doubt. For Santana though, this was completely unexpected. Sitting a while longer, Christmas songs rang through the corridors, the smell of peppermint and freshly made caramel corn lingered in the air, and Santana realized that she hadn't felt like this in a very long time. The holidays had been quite depressing for the last few years, though she tried her hardest not to let other's know. This year was different. That empty feeling didn't appear to be there. The events of the last couple of days must be enough to fill that hole. Smiling and warm, Santana got up off that bench and headed into the jewelry store in front of her.

"Merry Christmas!" Santana was greeted by a young man behind the jewelry counter.

"To you as well." she replied.

"Looking for something special?" the man asked.

"Very. I just don't know what." Santana responded with a half sigh half amused chuckle. The man smiled at her and nodded his head.

"There's been a lot of that today. Take a look around and let me know if there's anything you'd like to see up close."

"I will. Thank you."

Santana walked slowly from case to case. She looked at earrings, watches, pendants and a few other things that she didn't know what to categorize as. There was a little duck pendant that made her think of Brittany, but that's not what she was going for this time around. There was a nice silver watch with diamonds on the face. She stopped to look at the engagement rings and then mentally slapped herself back into reality. _Not an option._ She thought to herself. She looked at rings with birthstones and then on to bracelets. It was all beautiful, but none of it was good enough. She glanced at her watch and realized that she was running out of time. It was already three thirty. She took a look at some necklaces and as she was about to give up, she saw it. "It" was a simple silver chain. It was elegant looking, but not too fancy. Casual enough to be worn everyday. Not too expensive, but not cheap. Calling the young man over so she could take a closer look, she couldn't help but hope that this was the new beginning. Santana paid for the necklace and was sure to have it gift wrapped. Wrapping was never her thing. Reaching for her phone once again, she sent a text to Brittany.

_Britt- I'll pick you up a little after six! XO- S_

She had just enough time to get home and shower. Excitement rushed through her veins as she hurried home.

5:30PM

Santana was showered and standing in her room in a black lace bra and panties. She was sure nothing would happen as that would be getting her hopes up. Rushing even. It was way too soon to even be thinking about something like that! On her bed laid the six outfits that she had already tried on. Why was this so hard?! Her phone buzzed on the night stand.

_Thanks for the invite, but I'll sit this one out. Enjoy your evening. Merry Christmas! -BJ_

Santana's shoulders dropped a bit.

_Come on, I know you're going to be sitting at home alone watching It's a Wonderful Life on TV so just come do it with us!- S _Tucking a loose hair behind her ear with one hand, she hit send with the other. Thirty seconds later, her phone buzzed again.

_You're right, but I'm ok with it. Brittany's back and it's all you've ever wanted. Don't waste a second!- BJ_

Santana read the text and smiled. BJ was right. She couldn't waste a second. Her phone vibrated again.

_PS- Brittany will love you no matter what you wear so put on your jeans, boots, and white v-neck sweater. You know you want to.- BJ_

Santana's eyes about popped out of her head. It was kind of scary how she knew what was going though her head. BJ was right again though. Santana got dressed, quickly applied a bit of make-up and gave herself the once over in the mirror.

_You win. Merry Christmas BJ. Come on over if you get bored.- S_

Loading up her family's gifts and making sure she didn't forget Brittany's, Santana Lopez drove down the familiar streets to pick up Brittany Pierce for their first Christmas Eve together in years.

* * *

><p>Short I know. The rest of this will be loads of Brittana interaction. Just trying to ease back in and write something better while less distracted.<p> 


	16. Chapter 15 Part 2

The drive over to Brittany's was excruciatingly long. Santana had decided to take the "long" way. Even though it still shouldn't have taken any longer than ten minutes, it took nearly twenty. It seemed like Santana could hear every second of the short trip tick of in her chest. Mentally going through a check list, the woman battled with herself once again. The walls had to stay up.

_It's been said that there are some people out there that are able to pick up where they left off after year's of being apart._

There was no way that that was even possible. Too much time had past and both women were different people now. Time changes people. That's what Santana had learned with her experience. All those lovely life lessons that she had learned here in Lima were proof.

Or where they? Thinking of friends and acquaintances, she thought about that a little harder. There really hadn't been a lot of experiences the past few years. Santana had kept to herself and didn't really venture out much. She had made a couple of trips to see Quinn and even one to visit Rachel. Life experiences had changed both of them. They were different- older, wiser, less self-absorbed. Even her folks had changed over time. She never truly understood them when she was younger, but she sees them in herself more everyday.

Pulling up to the familiar house, Santana had to shake those thoughts out. She and Brittany were friends. They always would be despite the hurt that she felt. This was Brittany. Santana quickly decided that she would keep the walls up- perhaps a little higher than normal. She wanted to get to know the blonde again. The fear that she would disappear again was in her heart and she wouldn't hide that, but Brittany was here, in the flesh. Before another thought could be thunk, the passenger door was opening up.

"Hi!"

"Hiya. Ready to go?"

"Just let me put these boxes in the back and I'll be set."

Santana looked over Brittany's shoulder to see a pile of wrapped gifts behind her. Suddenly relieved that she took the time to get Brittany a gift, she slid out the driver's side and walked around to help.

The two women swiftly put the gifts in the back so they could get out of the chill of the winter's night. Both reached to pick up the last box and Brittany's hand brushed across Santana's. Two bodies froze as they shared a spark. Slowly, two pairs of eyes met each other and held contact for a brief moment. Not surprisingly, Santana was the one broke it and they hurried to set the last gift down. Shutting the door, Santana sprinted back around to the driver's side and slid in. They were off to Christmas Eve at the Lopez's.

* * *

><p>It had been a great evening. Mrs. Lopez made an amazing dinner as always. They drank eggnog, enoyed Christmas cookies,opened gifts and settled in to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" as if a Christmas Eve had never been missed.<p>

Santana caught herself staring at Brittany several times during the movie. Her thoughts raced, ranging from "never again" to "forever and always". She had a contented smile on her face, but on the inside she was riding an emotional roller coaster.

Brittany knew that Santana was looking at her. She could feel it. She always could. She didn't want to her to know it though. It was comfortable. It was Christmas Eve. Now wasn't the time to make things awkward. She sat back and enjoyed watching George race through the snowy streets in the movie and thought of Christmas' past. It was so good to be home.

Midnight approached and soon the credits were rolling on the tv screen. Mr. & Mrs. Lopez got up to say their goodnight's & goodbye's for the evening. Mr. Lopez had nudged his wife a little while ago and with just a look towards the elder Lopez woman, he told her they should leave the two young women alone for a while.

"Don't you two stay up too late. You know it's not polite to keep Santa waiting." said Santana's mother.

Mr. Lopez rolled his eyes. "You two stay up as late as you like. If your still up when the sun rises, put on a pot of coffee will ya?"

It was obviously a rhetorical question, but Brittany grinned from ear to ear asking, "Decaf hazel nut?"

The room filled with hearty laughter as all four wondered how she would remember such a small detail in their lives.

"Some things never change." Santana said quietly, her eyes twinkling with adoration. She smiled another shy smile at Brittany, but holding contact a bit longer until her dad cleared his throat.

"Ahem, well, it's way past our bedtime and Lord knows I need my beauty sleep!"

"It's so good to have you home Brittany! Will we see you tomorrow?" Mrs. Lopez caught her off guard.

"It's good to be home. I, uh, well, I'm not sure..." she was interupted by Santana.

"Yes mom, you'll see her tomorrow."

"Goodnight girls!" The lone male in the house ushered his wife upstairs.

"Goodnight." the women replied in unison.

"Sooooo," the brunette drawed out.

"Sooooo," the blonde replied.

"Can I get you some more hot chocolate?"

"Um, sure why not."

Santana made her way into the ktichen to make them each a mug of hot chocolate. She didn't know why she told her folks that they'd see Brittany tomorrow. Sure, it was Christmas day and she had agreed to do the traditional brunch at the Pierce residence, but that didn't mean that Brittany would be over here for any reason. She stood there mentally slapping herself as the microwave continued to beep at her that the water was done.

"Everything ok in here?"

"Huh? Oh...ye-yeah, everything is fine. Just making us that hot chocolate." she said with a sweet smile. "Go on back in the living room and make yourself comfortable. I'll be right in."

The blonde cocked her head to the side and flashed an adoring smile making Santana's heart flutter. She then pushed herself off the door frame she was leaning on and made her way back to the living room. Making sure to shut off the main lights, she headed over to the picture window to take in the sight of the Christmas lights twinkling in the neighborhood. They let off a warm, peaceful glow across the blanket of snow.

"Beautiful." whispered Santana as she walked up beside the blonde.

"Yeah, I've always loved the lights."

"Actually, I was talking about you." the smaller woman said quietly. Brittany's breath caught in her throat as her heart rate sped up a little. She turned to face Santana, but the brunette had already left her side. She continued to turn and found Santana sitting on the couch, watching the lights sparkle on her family's tree. She slowly walked over to and sat next to her.

"Thank you." the blonde said.

There was a comfortable silence as Brittany reached over and took Santana's hand in her's. "I know there's a lot going on in that head of your's and I understand why you might not want to talk to me about it, but I want you to know that I'm back."

She was right, there were so many thoughts going on in the Latina's mind that she couldn't keep them all straight. She was on an emotional roller coaster. Her feeling were all over the place. One thing she did know though, was that the emptiness she'd felt these last few year's was gone.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Brittany continued. "I guess now is as good of time as any, so I'm just going to talk and you can stop me whenever you're done listening, ok?" Santana nodded. "I know it's been a long time. A very long time. I also realize that you have every reason in the world not to trust me or believe me, but I'm home. Here to stay. I went out, I did what I had to do. I've accomplished things that most people in my profession only dream of accomplishing. I'm happy I've been able to do that. However, the truth of the matter is that no matter how much I enjoyed it, I never felt whole. There was always something missing. Deep down, I think I always knew what it was, I just didn't want to admit it to myself. No place ever felt like home. I know I caused you so much pain when I left and for that I am truly sorry."

Brittany's eyes were beginning to well up with tears. The mere thought of hurting Santana brought pain to her chest. "I guess what I'm really wondering is if you have thought about giving us another chance at all?"

Now Santana's breath caught. She hadn't been anticipating this conversation. Of course she had been considering it. She'd consider it, then shut it down, then consider it...it was a vicious cycle the past couple of days. Sitting here though, with Christmas lights aglow and the tears in Brittany's eyes, she knew. She knew exactly what the blonde had been going through. Exactly what she had been thinking. Then, without thinking, Santana did something she didn't expect to do. As she looked Brittany in the eye, she slowly brought her left hand to the taller women's cheek and then followed with the right. Time froze right there as both women stared into each other eyes. It was Santana who leaned in and closed the distance for their first slow and sensual kiss.


End file.
